A driver who authorities say was speeding died, and four children were hospitalized, after a traffic collision on the 215 Freeway in Riverside on Saturday, May 24.
The crash was reported at 9:33 p.m. in the southbound lanes at Columbia Avenue. The driver of a Honda Accord, identified as 26-year-old Juan Carlos Medina Paniagua of San Bernardino, was driving “at a high rate of speed” when he rear-ended a Chevrolet Tahoe with eight people inside, causing the Tahoe to roll over on its side, Officer Javier Navarro, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, said Tuesday.
Navarro said it was unclear how fast the Honda was traveling. Paniagua was driving alone, Navarro said.
Paniagua was pinned inside the car, forcing firefighters to use a hydraulic tool to free him. He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m., according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office.
The four children, as well as one adult who was hospitalized, suffered minor injuries, Riverside Fire Department Division Chief Chuck Tasker said.
The freeway was closed for 30 minutes for the investigation.
