Crime & Safety
Coroner IDs Hemet Man, 29, Killed In Winchester Crash
A car burst into flames after striking a pole just north of Scott Road early Wednesday morning.
WINCHESTER, CA — A driver was killed when his compact SUV slammed into a traffic signal pole and caught fire in Winchester, authorities said Wednesday.
The crash happened at about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 79 and Holland Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver was identified by the Riverside County Coroner's office as 29-year-old Alexander Reynante of Hemet.
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Apparently, Reynante lost control while traveling on the northbound 79 and careened into the pole, after which the SUV erupted in flames, CHP reported.
Witnesses were unable to help him.
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Cal Fire/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.
This report will be updated as more information is released.
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