Details Released In Fatal Cajalco Road Pileup

MEAD VALLEY, CA — A head-on collision that killed a 65-year-old woman in Mead Valley was triggered when the driver of an SUV lost control and crossed into opposing traffic, authorities said Monday.

The deadly crash occurred about 5:50 a.m. Friday on Cajalco Road, just east of Carpinus Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The agency said Demiris Reid of Nuevo was fatally injured in the three-vehicle wreck.

According to CHP Officer Juan Quintero, Reid was westbound on Cajalco in a Chevrolet Equinox when a Ford Explorer approached from the opposite direction, headed east.

"The driver of the Ford lost control and crossed the double yellow lines, colliding into the Chevy," Quintero said.

He said a Honda Civic following close behind the Ford smashed into the rear of the SUV.

Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location, which is roughly two miles northwest of Perris, within a few minutes and extricated Reid from her car, attempting life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Ford driver was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley for treatment of moderate injuries. The Honda driver was not injured, according to Quintero.

Both sides of Cajalco were closed for more than four hours after the crash while the wreckage was cleared and a preliminary investigation was conducted.

No one was arrested, but the investigation is ongoing, Quintero said.