Wrong-way crash kills three on 91 Freeway

Three people died in a head-on collision on the westbound 91 Freeway near 14th Street in Riverside early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol reported. The crash occurred when a driver heading the wrong direction struck other vehicles in the second and third lanes.

CHP logs indicate officers responded to a call about a driver swerving between cars around 2 a.m. A spokesperson for Riverside County said the wrong-way vehicle slammed into a big rig, with a third car also involved in the accident. One additional person was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.

Upon arrival, deputies found a white SUV turned on its side and a black sedan, identified by ABC 7 as a BMW, heavily damaged. The big rig was leaking fluid at the scene. Caltrans reported that all lanes of westbound 91 were closed at 4:30 a.m. due to the severity of the impact.

Traffic flow remained disrupted for several hours following the incident. Caltrans reopened traffic in all directions at 8:39 a.m., ending the multi-lane closure. The CHP is investigating the cause of the crash and the specific actions of the wrong-way driver.

The accident took place in the second and third lanes of the westbound freeway. No CHP spokesperson was available for further questions regarding the investigation's early findings. Local residents reported gridlock on surface streets until the lanes reopened.