RivCo Driver Dead In Metrolink Collision

JURUPA VALLEY, CA — A driver died early Wednesday morning after colliding with a Metrolink passenger train, authorities said.

Deputies responded to the area of Bellgrave Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard around 5:25 a.m. There, they found the train several hundred feet from a grade crossing and a vehicle with major collision damage away from the grade crossing and on railroad property, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The driver, still inside the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, the department said. The driver's name was not released pending notification of the next of kin.

Meanwhile, of the 46 passengers on the train, just one was injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment. The department said they were in stable condition.

The cause of the crash is still being looked into and authorities do not yet know if alcohol or drugs were a factor, authorities said.

Bellegrave Avenue between Van Buren Boulevard and Rutile Street was closed while investigators collected evidence and processed the scene. The department's Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team has taken over the investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has any information about the incident is urged to call Deputy Linfoot at 951- 955–2600 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 951-776–1099.