The collision occurred around 12:15 a.m. on Jan. 14 after officers received reports of a silver Mitsubishi Galant traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the 215 Freeway near Cactus Avenue.
Riverside, CA – An innocent driver was killed early Wednesday morning after a wrong-way driver caused a head-on collision on the 215 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
32-Year-Old Raulder Sotelo from Riverside died at the scene of the crash.
The collision occurred around 12:15 a.m. on Jan. 14 after officers received reports of a silver Mitsubishi Galant traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the 215 Freeway near Cactus Avenue.
CHP said officers attempted to locate the vehicle as it continued driving the wrong way, narrowly missing several other cars.
The Mitsubishi later collided head-on with a silver Toyota Camry driven by Sotelo near Central Avenue.
The 20-year-old Mitsubishi driver, a Moreno Valley resident, suffered major injuries and was transported to a hospital.
CHP said alcohol or drugs are suspected to have been factors in the crash.
The incident remains under investigation.
Original Story
Riverside, CA – At least one person died in a wrong-way collision that happened Wednesday morning on the 215 Freeway in Riverside.
According to the California Highway Patrol logs, the accident was reported on the southbound 215 Freeway at Central Avenue around 12:20 a.m., December 14.
The driver of a car was driving the wrong way, heading northbound in the southbound lanes, when they crashed. It was unclear whether the driver struck another vehicle.
At least one person died in the accident.
All southbound lanes of the freeway were shut down for several hours following the collision. The lanes were reopened around 5:15 a.m.
In 2023, the city of Riverside recorded 1,805 fatal and injury traffic collisions, placing it 6th among 15 similar-sized cities in California for crash frequency, with 159 crashes involving alcohol and 275 speed-related injury or fatal collisions. Pedestrians were involved in 113 collisions, and bicyclists in 62 during that year. Nighttime crashes (9 pm – 2:59 am) numbered 159, and there were 185 hit-and-run incidents reported. Riverside also had 500 DUI arrests linked to traffic incidents. City-level crash data show dozens of fatal accidents annually, with 35 fatalities in 2023 and 58 in 2022, illustrating year-to-year fluctuation in deadly collisions. Meanwhile, broader traffic safety analysis for Riverside County indicates that local roads see a high share of serious injury and fatal crashes, with young adult drivers (ages 25–34) disproportionately represented and key contributing factors including speeding, driving under the influence, and pedestrian violations. Fatal and serious injury collisions tend to peak in the afternoon and on weekends, and the county’s traffic fatality and serious injury rates have historically exceeded regional averages.
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