Diana Diaz Tragically Killed in Moreno Valley Crash

MORENO VALLEY, CA – Diana Diaz, a 37-year-old Perris woman, was killed and two people were left in critical condition after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Perris Boulevard and San Michele Road in Moreno Valley in the early morning hours Sunday.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded at 5:35 a.m. to the intersection, near the Ross distribution center, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Marcos Acosta. Diaz was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. The driver of the second vehicle was also critically injured and hospitalized. Passengers in that vehicle were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s department.

Cal Fire crews arriving at the scene reported a two-vehicle collision with one of the vehicles lodged against a fire hydrant. The crash forced the closure of southbound Perris Boulevard and San Michele Road for several hours while investigators processed the scene.

As of Sunday, the cause of the collision was not determined. “It is unknown at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the collision,” Acosta said. “The cause of the collision remains under investigation, and no further details will be released at this time.” No arrests had been reported.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Deputy Jason Slover of the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at 951-486-6700 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office at 951-776-1099.

If you or a loved one was injured in this accident, we’d like to speak with you. Our accident attorneys are available for a free and confidential consultation, 24/7.

California Law and Civil Liability

When a person dies in a traffic collision caused by another party’s negligence, California law gives certain surviving family members the right to pursue a wrongful death claim. Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, the decedent’s surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, and — if no surviving children exist — others who would inherit under intestate succession may bring a claim. Dependent stepchildren and parents also have standing under subsection (b) if they were financially dependent on the decedent.

A wrongful death claim is a civil action, separate from any criminal investigation, and it proceeds on a negligence standard: the plaintiff must establish that another party owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach caused the death. California follows a pure comparative fault framework under Civil Code § 1714. Under this doctrine, a jury apportions fault among all parties, and a plaintiff’s recovery is reduced in proportion to any share of responsibility attributed to the decedent — but a plaintiff is not barred from recovery even if the decedent bore some percentage of fault.

Damages recoverable in a wrongful death action under § 377.61 include the financial support the decedent would have provided, the reasonable value of household services, and the loss of love, companionship, and moral support — known as non-economic damages. A companion claim, a survival action under CCP § 377.30, can allow the decedent’s estate to recover separately for any pre-death pain, suffering, and economic losses the decedent experienced. Under AB 447, signed into law in 2021, California expanded survival action damages to include the decedent’s pain, suffering, and disfigurement — claims that were previously unavailable in survival actions.

The statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim under California law is generally two years from the date of death. Those who believe they may have a claim should consult a California personal injury attorney before that window closes, as delays can affect the preservation of evidence and witness availability.

The conclusions reached by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will be relevant to any future civil litigation, but a civil claim does not require a criminal conviction or arrest. Negligence alone — including any failure to exercise reasonable care behind the wheel — is sufficient to support civil liability.

If You Lost a Family Member in a Crash

If Diana Diaz was your family member, or if you or a loved one were among those injured in this crash, the personal injury attorneys at J&Y Law are available to answer your questions. Our firm handles wrongful death and serious injury cases across California on a contingency basis — meaning there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you. We offer free, confidential consultations to help families understand their legal options. Contact us to speak directly with an attorney about your situation.