According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck transpired around 5 a.m., February 27, on the southbound I-215 just north of Central Avenue.
Riverside, CA – 66-year-old Phillip Macias of Pomona died in a truck accident that happened Friday morning on Interstate 215 in Riverside.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck transpired around 5 a.m., February 27, on the southbound I-215 just north of Central Avenue.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Macias was driving a 2010 Ford Ranger in the slow lane when he approached a slower-moving Freightliner big rig.
For an unknown reason, Macias struck the rear of the big rig with his pickup truck.
Riverside Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced Macias dead at the scene.
The driver of the semi-truck was not hurt.
CHP Riverside Office is investigating the accident. Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact the office at 951-324-7210.
According to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), California recorded 392 large-truck fatalities in 2023, the second-highest in the nation. However, following a national trend, 2024 and 2025 estimates show a gradual decline in fatal truck incidents as safety technology and enforcement have intensified.
NHTSA data reveal that large trucks are involved in approximately 9% of all fatal crashes in the state. Crucially, the weight disparity means that 70% of those killed are occupants of passenger vehicles, not the truck drivers. The primary factors identified by NHTSA in these collisions include speeding, distracted driving, and improper lane changes. Most fatal accidents occur on rural principal arterials and interstates, with the highest concentrations in the Inland Empire and Central Valley freight corridors.
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