Details, ID Released In Fiery I-10 Crash That Left 1 Dead, 1 Injured

CABAZON, CA — A man killed early Tuesday morning in a fiery crash on Interstate 10 in Cabazon has been identified by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's bureau.

Jason Cavannagh, 38, of Newbury Park died at the crash scene just after 2 a.m. on eastbound I-10, east of the Main Street overpass, according to the coroner.

The California Highway Patrol released a preliminary crash report indicating Cavannagh could not escape the fiery wreckage. He was heading east on the freeway in a Toyota Tundra when for unknown reasons his vehicle drifted to the right and crashed into sand-filled attenuators, according to the CHP.

The Toyota continued to scrape along the freeway's K-rail and rolled over in the fourth lane. The vehicle finally came to rest on its side in the number four lane with no lights on and with Cavannagh still inside, the CHP reported.

Moments later, the driver of a Kenworth tractor towing a shipping container and traveling between 55 and 60 miles per hour in the number four lane came up on the Toyota and tried to swerve to miss hitting it, but was unsuccessful, the CHP said.

The Kenworth smashed into the Toyota, causing both vehicles "to become fully engulfed in flames," the CHP reported.

The Kenworth driver — a 63-year-old man from Avondale, Arizona — jumped out of his rig while the truck was still moving. He was transported by ground ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and was listed in critical condition.

Cavannagh "was unable to extract himself from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene," the CHP said. "Due to the vehicles being fully engulfed, it is currently unknown if the drivers were wearing seatbelts. Drugs/alcohol have not been ruled out as a contributing factor."

Eastbound I-10 was closed for the CHP's crash investigation and was fully reopened just after 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Although the crash cause remains under investigation, the CHP reminded motorists to pay attention to the road and not become distracted while driving.

Anyone with additional information about the crash was asked to contact CHP Public Information Officer Jason Montez at 909-769-2000 ext. 221, or after hours at 916-407-7511.