Driver Killed In Fiery Crash On Highway 79

WINCHESTER, CA — A 29-year-old motorist was killed when his four-door sedan slammed into a traffic signal pole and caught fire in Winchester, authorities said Wednesday.

Alexander Reynante of Hemet was fatally injured at about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 79 and Holland Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The agency said Reynante lost control while attempting to make a turn from northbound 79 onto Holland and careened into the pole, after which his Toyota Matrix erupted in flames.

Witnesses were unable to help him.

Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within minutes and found the vehicle consumed by flames. The blaze was knocked down a short time later, and Reynante was pronounced dead at the scene.

The northbound side of the 79 was shut down until about 4 a.m. Wednesday while the CHP conducted a preliminary investigation and the wreckage was cleared.

An autopsy was pending on the victim. It was not immediately known whether alcohol or drugs may have been factors in the crash.

City News Service