1 Dead In 'Fire Ball' After Early I-215 Crash; All Lanes Reopen: CHP

RIVERSIDE, CA — One person has died in a four-vehicle crash involving a sweeper truck on Interstate 215 in Riverside County on Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol reports.

The fiery wreck happened around 5 a.m. Thursday near Columbia Avenue, authorities said. A Dodge Stratus was among the vehicles involved.

A witness saw "a large fire ball" as the wreckage was engulfed in flames, preliminary California Highway Patrol logs indicated.

The wreck blocked all lanes, and a SigAlert was issued to divert traffic off the Interstate onto Columbia Avenue. Traffic reports indicated that traffic heading into the Riverside area was at a crawl, along the 215, 60 and 91 freeways.

A coroner was called to the scene around 5:30 a.m., reports indicated.

All lanes reopened around 8:40 a.m. Thursday. Traffic was backed up from Riverside to Edgemont on the 215 Freeway, and from Casa Blanca to Grand Terrace on the Riverside Freeway.