CHP I-15 Chase Ends In Murrieta: 1 Man Dead, Another Injured

MURRIETA, CA — Details were released Wednesday by the California Highway Patrol about a weekend pursuit that ended in Murrieta with the driver arrested, one passenger seriously injured and another dead.

The incident began around 4:19 a.m. Saturday when a CHP officer on patrol spotted a gray Jeep Compass without a license plate heading south on Interstate 15, north of Magnolia Avenue, in the Corona area.

The officer tried to pull the Jeep over, but the driver sped away and a chase began, CHP Officer Javier Navarro reported.

The Jeep reached speeds up to 127 miles per hour, exiting and re-entering the freeway several times, according to Navarro.

The driver continued south to Murrieta and tried to exit I-15 at California Oaks Road, but crashed at the offramp.

The Jeep rolled and two passengers were ejected; both were sent to Wildomar's Inland Valley Hospital (formerly Inland Valley Medical Center) in serious condition. One of them, a 22-year-old Los Angeles man, died at the hospital shortly after 5:30 a.m. Saturday. He was identified by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau as Trayvon Ford.

The Jeep driver and another passenger fled on foot. The driver was quickly found and arrested, according to Navarro.

"Alcohol intoxication is believed to be a factor in this crash," Navarro reported.

No other injuries were reported and updates on possible charges were unavailable.

The crash remains under investigation and anyone who may have witnessed any part of the incident is asked to call the California Highway Patrol Accident Investigation Unit at 951-637-8000.