This is an update to a story posted on Saturday.
A Riverside woman was killed and three others were injured early Saturday when a vehicle crashed into a tree on Interstate 215 near Murrieta Hot Springs Road. The driver was later arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, according to the California Highway Patrol.
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. The 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 that at least one person was on the ground.
A 2022 Toyota Corolla was being driven by 28-year-old Andrea Villalta of Los Angeles when, for reasons still under investigation, she steered onto the right shoulder and continued traveling south. The vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a tree west of the freeway lanes. CHP reported the car as a Prius, however, Valley News photographs show the car as a Corolla.
Responding personnel from Murrieta Fire & Rescue reported multiple injuries and one person initially trapped inside the vehicle. Crews with Engine 3 and Truck 2 provided medical care and worked to free the trapped occupant. A tow truck was later requested due to the extent of the damage.
One passenger, Brandy Joya, 30, of Riverside, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:41 a.m., according to the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. Three other passengers — a 28-year-old male from San Diego, a 25-year-old female from Los Angeles, and a 28-year-old female from Los Angeles — sustained major injuries and were transported to Inland Valley Medical Center.
Villalta suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital. CHP investigators determined she had been driving under the influence of alcohol and she was placed under arrest for felony DUI. She was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Facility.
The crash remains under investigation by the CHP Temecula Area office. Witnesses are encouraged to call (951) 466-4300.
CHP reminds motorists to always designate a sober driver. “If you drink, don’t drive.”
