Wrong-Way Crash on 91 Freeway Kills One, Critically Injures Two

RIVERSIDE, CA – One person died and two others were critically injured Sunday morning in a wrong-way, multi-vehicle crash on the eastbound 91 Freeway in Riverside, authorities said. 

The collision was reported at about 9:30 a.m. Sept. 6 near University Avenue. California Highway Patrol dispatch information indicated that one of the vehicles had been traveling west in the eastbound lanes before the crash. 

Riverside firefighters received the call at 9:34 a.m. The first engine crew found several damaged vehicles and multiple patients. One vehicle was burning, and at least one occupant needed to be removed from wreckage through an extrication operation. 

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

Aftermath of the 91 Freeway Accident in Riverside 

The Fire Department listed one fatality and two patients with critical injuries in its incident summary. Its narrative also said three patients were taken to a local trauma center. Officials did not release the patients’ names or clarify whether the person who died was pronounced dead at the scene or after transport. 

Six Fire Department units responded, including three engine companies, a truck company, and a squad. Eleven firefighters worked alongside five ambulances and an ambulance supervisor. The department listed the incident as controlled at 10 a.m., about 26 minutes after it received the call. 

Authorities shut down the eastbound freeway at the crash site while crews treated the injured people, extinguished the vehicle fire and cleared access for emergency vehicles. The closure diverted traffic near University Avenue and remained in effect during the initial investigation. The lanes reopened Sunday afternoon. 

Cause Remains Under Investigation 

Initial dispatch information described a wrong-way vehicle, but investigators had not released a complete account of the sequence of impacts. They also had not said where the trip began, how the vehicle entered the freeway in the wrong direction or which vehicle carried the person who died. 

The Fire Department left the cause field blank in its public incident report. No agency had identified a driver, announced an arrest or stated whether alcohol, drugs, speed or a medical emergency played a role. The number and types of vehicles involved also had not been fully described. 

The department listed no patients with moderate or minor injuries, and its public report did not include an estimate of property losses from the collision or fire. 

The crash occurred during Sunday morning traffic on a major east-west route through Riverside. Emergency personnel concentrated their response near University Avenue, where the combination of critical injuries, a vehicle fire and trapped occupants required a full freeway closure. CHP continued investigating the wrong-way report after the roadway reopened.