Coroner IDs Passenger Killed In Murrieta I-15 DUI Crash

MURRIETA, CA — A car passenger killed over the weekend on southbound Interstate 15 in Murrieta was identified Wednesday by the coroner's bureau.

Alvaro Parra Rodriguez, 25, of Ramona died in the solo-vehicle wreck reported at 12:28 p.m. Saturday, just north of California Oaks Road.

Parra Rodriguez was riding unrestrained in the front passenger seat of a 2006 Honda Civic when the driver made an "unsafe turning movement," causing the sedan to lose control, veer off the freeway and smash into a dirt embankment, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Parra Rodriguez was thrown into the car's backseat and pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said.

The Honda driver, a 23-year-old Ramona man identified as Agustin Martinez, was traveling in the number 1 lane at about 70-75 miles per hour, when he lost control and crashed on the west side of the I-15, coming to a rest on the freeway's southbound shoulder, the CHP reported.

Martinez was sent to Wildomar's Southwest Healthcare Inland Valley Hospital with moderate injuries. According to the CHP, Martinez was wearing a seatbelt but was driving under the influence of drugs.

The CHP Temecula Area office was continuing to investigate the crash.

"The CHP would like to remind the motoring public to always wear your seatbelt. Seatbelts can save lives and prevent injuries," the agency reported.