Follow-Up: SR-79 Head-On Crash Is Now a Fatal Collision: Coroner Called In, Both Directions Still Closed After Dark
The head-on collision that shut down State Route 79 (Temecula Parkway) east of Temecula in Riverside County, California, on the afternoon of October 22 is now being handled by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as a fatal collision. The CHP incident log (Incident 0516) shows the coroner was notified at 3:54 p.m.; local outlet Patch, citing the CHP, reported that two people were killed. As of publication, neither the CHP nor the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's office had formally released the number or the identities of the dead, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
On the closure, the CHP issued a SigAlert for both directions at 2:53 p.m. At 6:27 p.m., CAL FIRE asked the CHP whether SR-79 was still closed; at 6:29 p.m., the log confirmed that all eastbound and westbound lanes at the scene remained shut. As of the evening of October 22, neither the CHP nor Caltrans had announced a reopening time.
As GSM reported earlier, at 2:38 p.m. a semi truck hauling CAT lift equipment collided head-on with a white sedan just east of the Horizon View St intersection. The sedan was completely destroyed and burned, blocking both directions, with CAL FIRE / Riverside County Fire Department and Riverside County Sheriff's units working at the scene.
Head-On Crash on SR-79 East of Temecula: White Sedan Burns, Both Directions Closed
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: SR-79公路（Winchester Road）与Keller Road路口一带实景：事发路段为Temecula以东的同一条SR-79（Temecula Parkway）。图片：Z3lvs，CC0，经维基共享资源 / SR-79 (Winchester Road) at Keller Road in the Temecula area; the crash closed the same route (Temecula Parkway) east of Temecula. Photo: Z3lvs, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- 2026-10-22Head-On Crash on SR-79 East of Temecula: White Sedan Burns, Both Directions Closed
- 2026-10-22Follow-Up: SR-79 Head-On Crash Is Now a Fatal Collision: Coroner Called In, Both Directions Still Closed After DarkThis story
- 2026-10-23Update: Two Killed in SR-79 Head-On Crash in Temecula: Both SUV Occupants Died at the Scene, Truck Driver Sustained Minor Injuries
