Banning Man ID'd Following Deadly Wreck

BANNING, CA — Riverside county coroner's officials have publicly identified a man who was hit and killed while walking along a Cathedral City roadway over the weekend. He was 26-year-old Gilert Albert Avila, Jr. and was a resident of Banning.

Avila was struck around 2:09 a.m. Saturday along Date Palm Drive at Adelina Drive, according to Cathedral City police and the coroner's office. He was pronounced dead about six minutes later.

Police say a 28-year-old Desert Hot Springs man was at the wheel of a vehicle that struck Avila. The man was detained and questioned at the scene, and later released.

Police are investigating the deadly incident, but say alcohol and drugs do not appear to be involved.