LAKE MATHEWS (CNS) – A 31-year-old motorist killed in a two-vehicle crash that injured another man just north of Lake Mathews was identified today.
Rudy Benetiz Bonilla of Perris was fatally injured about 7 a.m. Wednesday on La Sierra Avenue, near Lake Crest Drive.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Bonilla was headed northbound on the four-lane corridor during a rain squall when he apparently lost control of his Honda Civic and crossed into oncoming traffic.
A 52-year-old man driving a Nissan Rogue was going southbound at the same location as the Honda, which broadsided the SUV, CHP Officer Juan Quintero said.
The Honda then spun to a stop next to the Nissan in the southbound lanes, Quintero said. Both vehicles were heavily damaged.
The collision occurred less than a quarter-mile from a Riverside County Fire Department station, and a crew reached the location within a couple of minutes, Quintero said.
Bonilla was freed from the sedan and pronounced dead at the scene.
The other driver was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, from which he is recovering, according to Quintero.
La Sierra Avenue was partially shut down for two hours while a preliminary investigation was conducted and the wreckage was cleared.
The crash remains under investigation.
