The collision occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard on the city's west end.
Riverside, CA – At least three people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash at an intersection in Riverside early Thursday afternoon, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
The collision occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard on the city's west end.
Fire officials reported that emergency crews arrived to find seven vehicles involved in the crash, all showing varying degrees of impact damage. The circumstances leading up to the Riverside multi-vehicle crash have not yet been detailed, including how the vehicles collided.
Authorities confirmed that three individuals sustained moderate to major injuries in the collision. An additional four people were evaluated at the scene by paramedics but declined further medical treatment. No arrests were reported.
The cause of the seven-vehicle crash remains under investigation as officials work to determine the factors that led to the collision.
Multiple fire engine companies and a paramedic squad responded to assist the injured and manage the scene. Riverside police officers also arrived to control traffic and secure the area.
As a result of the Riverside-crash, Lincoln Avenue was shut down in both directions while crews conducted a preliminary investigation and cleared the damaged vehicles. The roadway was expected to reopen around 3 p.m.
The incident remains under investigation by local authorities.
According to statewide crash type breakdowns from the California Department of Transportation and CHP SWITRS data, head-on collisions accounted for about 9.7 % of all fatal and serious injury crashes between 2018 and 2022 — a disproportionately high share given their relative infrequency compared with other crash types. These collisions often occur when a vehicle crosses into oncoming traffic on two-lane roads or freeways without median separation, and they are more likely to result in fatalities than other crash types. Contributing factors include driver impairment (DUI), distracted or fatigued driving, speeding, and unsafe passing or wrong-way travel. Alcohol and drug impairment contribute to a significant proportion of head-on impacts statewide, while rural corridors with limited barriers remain high-risk environments. Due to the direct frontal impact, these collisions frequently lead to severe injuries and deaths even at moderate speeds, underscoring the need for targeted safety measures to reduce lane departure and wrong-way incidents.
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