In the early hours of Saturday, November 2, 2024, a tragic traffic accident occurred at the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard and Wood Road in Riverside. Around 5:40 a.m., Riverside’s Public Safety Communications Center received reports of a vehicle collision involving a fire. Riverside Police Department officers and Riverside Fire Department paramedics quickly responded to the scene, finding one of the vehicles fully engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, two individuals were found deceased inside the vehicle.
According to preliminary investigations, the incident began when a gray Lexus sedan, traveling north on Wood Road at high speed, ran a red light at Van Buren Boulevard. At the same time, a blue Scion was moving west through the intersection on a green light, leading to a collision. The impact caused the Lexus to continue moving north, where it collided with a cement light pole, a wooden electrical pole, and a tree before finally coming to a stop and igniting.
The Lexus had three occupants at the time of the crash. The 17-year-old male driver and an 18-year-old female passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. A second 17-year-old male passenger sustained severe injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The adult male driver of the Scion, who was the sole occupant, remained at the scene and is fully cooperating with the investigation. He was not injured in the incident.
The Riverside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.), with assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, has taken over the investigation. Alcohol, drugs, and excessive speed are being considered as contributing factors in this devastating accident. The identities of the deceased teens are pending release by the Coroner’s Office, following notification of their families.