4 Killed in Wrong-Way Driver Traffic Collision with Fire on 71 Freeway

Chino Hills, San Bernardino County, CA: Four individuals lost their lives in a wrong-way driver traffic collision involving fire and multiple vehicles early Sunday morning, Mar. 19.

California Highway Patrol received numerous 911 calls regarding a wrong-way driver traveling northbound in southbound lanes on the 71 Freeway at Central Avenue in the city of Chino Hills.

CHP received additional 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. of a multi-vehicle traffic collision with one vehicle on fire and people trapped inside on the southbound 71 Freeway at Chino Hills Parkway.

A sergeant from the CHP Rancho Cucamonga Office was the first on scene and attempted to extinguish the flames and rescue the occupants inside the vehicle. The sergeant was not able to approach the car due to heavy flames engulfing the vehicle.

The Chino Valley Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.

According to CHP’s news release, preliminary findings indicate a driver with a passenger in a white 2021 Volvo S60 was traveling northbound in southbound lanes on the 71 freeway when it collided head-on with a black 2018 Volvo S90, driven by a male with one female passenger both from Lake Elsinore. The black Volvo was headed southbound, north of Chino Hills Parkway, in southbound lanes prior to the crash.

The impact caused both vehicles to spin. The black Volvo became disabled in lanes and was rear ended by a gray 2001 Toyota Sequoia driven by a male from Chino. A silver 2008 Honda Accord driven by a male from Corona, also rear ended the black Volvo disabled in lanes.

As a result of the crash, the drivers and passengers of the white 2021 Volvo S60 and black 2018 Volvo S90, sustained fatal injuries, according to CHP. All occupants in both vehicles were pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash.

The driver of the Toyota Sequoia sustained minor injuries, and the driver of the Honda Accord sustained major injuries according to CHP.

One patient was observed being loaded into an ambulance at the scene, but it is unclear if the other injured driver was transported to a hospital.

The deceased have not been identified at this time.

CHP issued a hard closure and a SigAlert for the southbound 71 Freeway at Grand Avenue.

Anyone with information regarding this traffic collision is encouraged to contact the CHP Rancho Cucamonga area office at (909) 980-3994.

Randy Dominguez, Video Journalist / KNN