High Speed Crash Claims Life Of MoVal Motorist

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A man killed when his sports sedan plowed into a traffic light and caught fire at a Moreno Valley intersection was driving at high speed when he apparently lost control and veered into the pole, authorities said Monday.

The fatality occurred just before 4 a.m. Sunday at Gentian Avenue and Perris Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Sgt. Marcos Acosta said the victim, whose identity was not immediately released, was driving his 2019 Dodge Challenger on Perris "at a high rate of speed" before the collision. The crash triggered a fire, which quickly engulfed the vehicle.

County fire personnel reached the location within minutes and quickly knocked down the flames.

The motorist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff's Moreno Valley station at 951-486-6700.