Passenger In Murrieta Police Chase, Crash Dies From Injuries

MURRIETA, CA — A man who was a passenger in a BMW that led a police chase and subsequently crashed into a Murrieta police cruiser and one other vehicle has died from his injuries, according to officials.

Keshon Manning, 25, of Desert Hot Springs was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m. Thursday at Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, according to the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau.

California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lassig confirmed Manning was not the BMW driver.

A multi-agency investigation continues into Thursday's chase in Murrieta that led to Manning's death and the hospitalization of four other people, including a Murrieta police officer.

Just after 3 a.m. Thursday, a Murrieta police officer attempted to pull over the BMW driver near Jefferson Avenue and Murrieta Hot Springs for a vehicle code violation, but the motorist sped away northbound on Jefferson toward the Los Alamos Road intersection, according to Lt. Ron Driscoll of the Murrieta Police Department.

Instead of stopping for the traffic light, the BMW driver continued through the intersection and plowed into another motorist driving a red Honda, according to Driscoll.

The crash impact sent the BMW into southbound Jefferson Avenue traffic, where it collided with another Murrieta Police Department vehicle driven by an officer who was responding to the chase.

The patrol vehicle rolled over, and the officer inside had to be extricated from the wreckage and airlifted to a hospital for treatment of major injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Driscoll said.

Manning and the BMW driver sustained major injuries. Two people in the Honda suffered minor to moderate injuries. All were hospitalized, but no further information about them was released.

Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and the California Highway Patrol's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team were called to the crash site and assumed the investigation.

The Murrieta Police Department's Traffic Bureau and Detective Bureau was also assisting with the investigation.

On Thursday, Driscoll said it was too early in the investigation to say whether — and what type — of charges would be filed in the case.

Due to the crash investigation, Jefferson Avenue was closed in both directions between Juniper Street and Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Los Alamos Road was also shuttered in both directions from Adams to Madison avenues. According to Driscoll, the roadways were cleared by 3 p.m. Thursday.