Cheyenne Phillips, 24, killed in I-60 Crash in Moreno Valley

By Yosi Yahoudai Founder and Managing Partner

May 11, 2026

Car Accidents

Moreno Valley, CA (May 11, 2026) – Cheyenne Phillips, a 24-year-old Chino woman, died Sunday afternoon after her SUV rolled over multiple times at high speed on state Route 60 in Moreno Valley, ejecting her into oncoming traffic where she was struck and killed by a Tesla. An infant found in the rear seat of the woman’s vehicle sustained minor injuries. The crash raises immediate liability questions around high-speed reckless driving, infant passenger safety, and potential secondary liability involving the Tesla driver. 

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, our attorneys at J&Y Law are ready to help. Call us any time, 24/7.

OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION

The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Bureau identified the deceased as Cheyenne Phillips, 24, of Chino. Next of kin were notified prior to release of the identification. The official time of injury was recorded as 1410 hours (2:10 p.m.) and time of death as 1420 hours (2:20 p.m.) on May 10, 2026. The California Highway Patrol — Riverside is the agency of record, conducting the investigation under CHP Case No. 260510IN0498.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Shortly after 2:10 p.m. Sunday, a 2014 Acura MDX was traveling at a high rate of speed on westbound state Route 60 west of Day Street in Moreno Valley when the driver passed several vehicles by driving in the center median shoulder.

The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times and ejecting the driver into the eastbound lanes of SR-60. Once on the roadway, Phillips was struck by a 2024 Tesla Model 3 traveling in the eastbound lanes. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The coroner’s record confirms the location of both injury and death as eastbound State Route 60, east of the Day Street off-ramp, Moreno Valley — consistent with Phillips having been ejected from the westbound side into the path of eastbound traffic. 

ADDITIONAL OCCUPANTS AND THIRD-PARTY INVOLVEMENT

Responding emergency personnel discovered an infant in the rear seat of the Acura MDX. The infant sustained minor injuries. The infant’s identity, age, relationship to Phillips, and restraint status have not been released by authorities. The driver of the Tesla Model 3 was not injured. 

The presence of an infant in the vehicle is a critical element for litigation purposes. Whether the child was properly restrained in a federally compliant car seat — and whether the high-speed, erratic driving constituted child endangerment — are questions that will bear directly on any civil claims arising from this incident.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: UNDER INVESTIGATION

The CHP stated that alcohol and/or drugs are “unknown factors at this time,” indicating neither has been ruled out nor confirmed as a contributing cause. Investigators have not publicly released vehicle data recorder (black box) information, toxicology results, or information about what prompted the high-speed maneuver through the center median shoulder.

The use of the center median shoulder — a space not designated for through travel — to pass multiple vehicles at high speed is a significant behavioral factor consistent with reckless or grossly negligent operation under California Vehicle Code § 23103 and potentially § 22350 (Basic Speed Law). 

This incident presents several distinct liability vectors relevant to personal injury litigation:

Reckless Operation. The undisputed facts — high speed, passing vehicles via the center median shoulder, loss of control — establish a prima facie pattern of reckless driving well in excess of ordinary negligence, potentially supporting punitive damages under California Civil Code § 3294.

Infant Passenger Harm. A surviving injured infant in the vehicle creates a viable claim. Under California law, a minor plaintiff has extended statute of limitations protections. The nature and severity of the infant’s injuries, restraint status, and any resulting trauma — physical or developmental — will require immediate preservation of medical records.

Tesla Driver / Secondary Impact. The Tesla Model 3 driver, traveling lawfully in eastbound lanes, struck Phillips after she was ejected. While the driver is reported uninjured and likely not liable given the sudden emergency doctrine, the sequence of events should be fully reconstructed to confirm no contributing negligence.

Estate and Wrongful Death. Phillips’ estate and any surviving heirs may have standing for wrongful death claims if another party — such as a road designer, a vehicle manufacturer (given the rollover dynamics of the 2014 Acura MDX), or a third-party actor — contributed to the crash.

WITNESS APPEAL AND INVESTIGATION STATUS

The CHP investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the CHP Riverside area office at 951-324-7210. Witness identification and dashcam footage from vehicles in the area should be treated as time-sensitive evidence requiring immediate legal hold notices.