A vehicle carrying four people crashed into a tree early Saturday on southbound Interstate 215 near Murrieta Hot Springs Road, leaving one person dead and three injured. At least one person was briefly trapped, according to the California Highway Patrol log.
The patients were transported to Inland Valley Medical Center.
The collision was reported at approximately 1:32 a.m. on the southbound side of I-215, just north of the Murrieta Hot Springs
exit. A 911 call initially came in as an open line, with a man heard speaking in the background, before dispatchers received reports that the vehicle had struck a tree and at least one occupant was on the ground.
Murrieta Fire & Rescue responded with Engine 3 and Truck 2 after the call was upgraded to an expanded traffic collision. Fire personnel reported that at least two people had sustained injuries. One person was initially trapped and later freed. CHP logs also indicated that four people were believed to have been in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
A tow truck was requested for the vehicle involved in the collision. The extent of damage to the tree and possible lane impacts were not immediately available.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the conditions of the injured were not immediately released. The incident remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
