SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Authorities Tuesday evening released more information on a fiery crash in Poway that left five people dead Friday afternoon.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office reports three vehicles were involved in the deadly crash that happened at 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, on State Route 67, north of Iron Mountain Drive and east of the city of Poway.
Five people die in crash near Poway that sparked a brush fire
The sheriff’s department reports a Chevy Silverado pickup truck was traveling north when, for reasons still under investigation, the driver crossed into oncoming traffic at a high-rate of speed.
The pickup truck collided head-on with a white Honda Civic with one person inside that was heading south on SR-67, while a Toyota Tacoma with three people inside was unable to stop and collided with the Honda Civic, the sheriff’s department reports.
Family mourns father and son lost in Poway crash that killed 5
The force of the collision sent one vehicle down a ravine and sparked a small brush fire along the highway that was quickly doused by firefighters but heavily damaged the vehicles.
The sheriff’s department reports all five people in the three vehicles died at the scene.
Three vehicles were heavily damaged, with two of them nearly completely destroyed by flames (FOX 5/KUSI)
Detectives are investigating what caused the pickup truck to veer into oncoming traffic and are reviewing video they received from a passing Tesla that shows the pickup truck hit the other vehicles head-on in the opposite lanes of traffic.
While the family has since identified two of the victims— Marcial Rivera, 59 and his son, Emmanuel Rivera, 32 — and has set up a GoFundMe and is planning a Sunday fundraiser, the names of the other three victims have yet to be released by authorities.
Anyone with more information is asked to call the Poway Sheriff’s Station at 858-513-2800.
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