An autopsy was pending Tuesday on a 28-year-old man who was hit by two vehicles, suffering fatal injuries, after he walked into traffic on the Riverside (91) Freeway.
Elias Hernandez Vasquez of Riverside was killed at 1:30 a.m. Sunday on the eastbound 91, nearly a quarter-mile west of Tyler Street, on the west end of Riverside, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Javier Navarro told City News Service that Vasquez stepped into the eastbound lanes, possibly in an attempt to cross the freeway, and was struck moments later by a Nissan 370Z traveling at an unconfirmed speed.
“The Nissan driver lost control and went off the road, landing on the right shoulder embankment,” Navarro said. “While the pedestrian was still (lying) in lanes, he was struck again by a Honda Civic.”
That driver, whose identity was not disclosed, immediately exited the freeway and parked near the intersection of Indiana Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard. The uninjured motorist called 911 to report what had just occurred and waited for CHP officers to arrive and take a report.
Riverside Fire Department paramedics arrived 15 minutes later and pronounced Vasquez dead at the scene.
The fire crew extricated the driver of the Nissan, who was taken to a Riverside hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The motorist, also not publicly identified, was released from the hospital the same day.
Neither driver was suspected of being under the influence, according to Navarro.
Vasquez’s remains were turned over to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office for examination. It was unknown Tuesday whether he might have been under the influence of intoxicating substances when he walked onto the freeway.