According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), wrong-way crashes are far more likely to happen between the hours of midnight and six a.m. Some wrong-way drivers are elderly or inexperienced and have simply become confused in an unfamiliar area. However, far more often, wrong-way crashes occur because of drivers who choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Press-Enterprise reported on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, that this is likely what happened when a Moreno Valley was killed. Authorities say that the woman died after a wrong-way driver struck her vehicle head-on on Highway 259 on Sunday.
Investigators with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a statement that the fatal crash happened at approximately 2:17 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Highway 259 just north of 27th Street in San Bernardino.
CHP Officer Ivan Sandoval said that a woman was driving northbound in her Subaru. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene. The unidentified woman was declared dead at the scene of the accident.
The wrong-way driver, a young man, believed to be in his 20s, was also injured in the crash with serious injuries. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Because of the severity of his injuries, law enforcement officers have been unable to question him. Investigators believe that he was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
The driver’s identity had not been released at the time of the report.
The crash is currently under investigation.
