Coroner IDs Victim Of Fatal Coachella Valley Crash

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA — A Twentynine Palms man was identified Friday as the victim of a fatal multi-car crash in Desert Hot Springs early Thursday morning.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department Coroner's Bureau identified Twentynine Palms resident Jonathon Tucker, 22, as the person killed in the collision.

Firefighters were called to the intersection of Highway 62 and North Indian Canyon Drive at 2:27 a.m. Thursday regarding a multi-vehicle collision. A Hyundai, in the process of turning left, collided with a Dodge traveling eastbound on Highway 62.

The Dodge, driven by Tucker, continued in a northeasterly direction and collided with a street light at the intersection corner.

Arriving firefighters found Tucker critically injured and pronounced the driver dead at the scene shortly after, the Riverside County Fire Department said.

The Hyundai driver, a man from Yucca Valley, suffered minor injuries in the incident. Neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be a factor, according to California Highway Patrol spokesperson David Torres.

Highway 62 was closed for approximately two hours for officer investigations before reopening Thursday morning.

The California Highway Patrol investigation is still underway.

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1 Person Killed In Desert Hot Springs Crash