Girl Killed In Temecula Area Crash, DUI Suspected: CHP

UPDATE: Murrieta Teen Killed In Suspected DUI Crash ID'd, Vigil Planned

TEMECULA, CA — A 15-year-old Murrieta girl was killed this weekend in a head-on DUI crash and a 19-year-old Fallbrook man is accused of causing the wreck, the California Highway Patrol reported Sunday.

The deadly incident happened around 6:15 p.m. Saturday along Rancho California Road, near Via Santa Rosa in an unincorporated area of Riverside County near Temecula, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to CHP Officer Mike Lassig, Jose Zazueta was driving a 2015 BMW 328i with three passengers westbound on Rancho California Road. Investigators believe Zazueta was going faster than 55 mph, while the speed limit in the area is 40 mph.

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old Murrieta man was driving eastbound on Rancho California Road with two passengers in a 2005 Toyota Corolla. That driver, who was not identified, was going less than 40 mph, according to Lassig.

"As [Zazueta] was driving in a reckless manner while traveling uphill, the roadway curved to the right," Lassig said in a news release. "[He] allowed his BMW to veer to the left and into the opposing eastbound traffic lane."

The Corolla driver couldn't move in time, and the two vehicles crashed head-on, officials said.

"The collision caused the BMW to propel off the roadway and down an ascending embankment (approximately 150’) where it came to rest on its roof, facing a westerly direction," Lassig said.

All four people that were in the BMW were able to free themselves from the wreckage, but all were hurt with injuries ranging from moderate to major, Lassig said.

The Corolla ended up coming to a rest in the middle of the road, and the driver and right rear passenger suffered major injuries, according to Lassig. The girl in the front passenger seat did not survive.

"The collision caused fatal blunt force injuries to the 15-year-old female passenger who was sitting in the right front seat of the Toyota Corolla," Lassig said.

The California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Fire Department both responded to the scene. Paramedics ultimately transported two people with minor injuries and four with serious injuries, one of them being the accused DUI driver, according to CHP and fire reports.

"During the on-scene collision investigation, the investigating CHP officer determined that [Zazueta] had been driving under the influence of alcohol and was placed under arrest for felony driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter," Lassig said. "[He] was transported to Inland Valley Hospital and was waiting for a clearance for booking at the Southwest Detention Facility in Murrieta."

Jail booking records indicated that Zazueta was taken to jail on Sunday around 6 p.m. His bail was set at $75,000.

"The CHP would like to remind everyone that DUI’s are 100 percent preventable," Lassig said. "If you drink, don’t drive. Designate a sober driver. Your life or someone else's depends on it."