Crime & Safety
3 Construction Workers Killed In Blythe Crash Were Working On $241M I-10 Pavement Project
The three men were working for Fisher Industries of North Dakota, a sub-contractor on the I-10 Blythe Pavement Rehabilitation Project.
BLYTHE, CA — Three construction workers killed in a multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 in Blythe last week were working on a $241 million state pavement project, officials said Tuesday.
The crash was reported at about 5:15 a.m. Friday on eastbound I-10 east of Intake Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A preliminary investigation determined a big rig was traveling east at an unconfirmed speed when it struck a parked attenuator construction vehicle and an occupied Chevrolet Silverado before colliding with a water truck, the CHP stated.
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"During the sequence of events, three construction workers were also struck and sustained fatal injuries," the department said.
The three men killed were identified Saturday as Christopher Benavidez Guatemala of Coachella, 27, Alfonso Vega Torres of Coachella, 50, and 39-year-old Francisco Morales Mendoza of Tonopah, Arizona, according to the Riverside County coroner's office.
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The driver, identified as a 44-year-old Redlands man, sustained major injuries to his head and leg and was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. His medical status was not immediately known as of Tuesday.
"Due to this being a complex investigation, there is no updated info currently," CHP Officer Jack Barron said.
Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors in the collision, the agency stated.
A spokesperson for Caltrans District 8 told City News Service on Tuesday that the three men were working for Fisher Industries of North Dakota, a sub-contractor on the I-10 Blythe Pavement Rehabilitation Project. The project involves a "beautification monument," push-button posts to American with Disabilities Act standards, concrete pavement rehabilitation of 88 lane miles, on- and off-ramps, shoulders and 11,950 linear feet of new guardrail systems, and upgrades to bridges, curb ramps, sidewalks and crosswalk safety enhancements.
Construction work is expected to continue until at least this winter, weather permitting.
