Police say DUI driver caused deadly crash on I-15 in Lake Elsinore over weekend
One person was killed and another hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash on the 15 Freeway in Lake Elsinore on Monday.
The crash happened a little after 3:15 a.m. on southbound lanes near Highway 74, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers arrived and were told by a tow truck river that his vehicle was rear-ended by a white Chevrolet Cruze sedan, the CHP statement said.
One of the passengers of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, officers said.
On Tuesday, CHP released more information, noting that the driver was "traveling too fast" when the collision occurred. Because of the speed, which was "in excess of 70 miles per hour," they were unable to avoid the tow truck driving around 45 miles per hour in the slow lane.
The suspect driver was identified as 21-year-old Lake Elsinore resident Tudda Teeanna Tran. Investigators say that she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
She was taken to a nearby hospital for serious injuries, officers said. While she was technically arrested the night of the crash before hospitalization and is being watched by law enforcement until she is released.
The deceased victim has been identified as 21-year-old Melissa Lopez, also of Lake Elsinore.
Anyone who knows more is urged to contact CHP's Temecula office at (951) 466-4300.