TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA — Jonathon Tucker, a 22-year-old resident of Twentynine Palms, has been identified as the victim of a fatal multi-vehicle crash that occurred early Thursday morning in Desert Hot Springs.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Bureau confirmed Tucker’s identity following the collision.
The crash took place at the intersection of Highway 62 and North Indian Canyon Drive at 2:27 a.m. on Thursday. According to the Riverside County Fire Department, the incident involved a Hyundai making a left turn that collided with an eastbound Dodge driven by Tucker.
After the initial impact, Tucker’s Dodge continued northeast and struck a street light at the corner of the intersection.
Firefighters who arrived at the scene found Tucker critically injured and pronounced him dead shortly after their arrival.
The driver of the Hyundai, a man from Yucca Valley, sustained minor injuries. According to California Highway Patrol spokesperson David Torres, neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be factors in the collision.
Highway 62 was closed for approximately two hours while officers conducted their investigation, reopening later Thursday morning.
The California Highway Patrol’s investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
