Bystanders tried to pull open crushed doors before firefighters freed the victims on Interstate 215.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — One person was killed and four others, including two infants, were taken to hospitals after a multi-vehicle crash on the northbound 215 Freeway in Riverside on Sunday night, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 7:35 p.m. south of Eucalyptus Avenue, where emergency crews found at least one person trapped inside a badly damaged vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol and local fire officials. The wreck shut down all northbound lanes for hours and left witnesses scrambling to help a family pinned inside before rescue crews arrived.
Video from the scene showed a mangled car stopped on the freeway as firefighters worked around it and traffic backed up behind a full closure. Witnesses told reporters they saw two adults and two babies trapped in the wreckage and rushed over in an attempt to pull open the doors. One bystander said several people counted together and tried again and again to force the doors open, but the damage was too severe. The same witness said the adults inside were conscious and that people on the roadway tried to keep them calm while waiting for rescue teams.
Firefighters then used hydraulic rescue tools to free at least one adult from the vehicle. Riverside firefighters and paramedics treated the victims on scene and transported the two infants and two adults to nearby hospitals. CBS Los Angeles reported that one pediatric patient was taken to a trauma center. Authorities did not immediately say whether the person who died was an adult or a child, and the conditions of the surviving victims were not released Sunday night.
The scene drew a quick response from passing drivers as well as public safety agencies. Witnesses said a dog was also inside one of the vehicles, adding another layer of chaos to the rescue. Animal control officers were called to take custody of the dog after the crash. The vehicle carrying the family appeared heavily crushed, and aerial footage later showed it still sitting in the middle lanes as investigators examined the wreckage and tow crews prepared to clear the freeway.
The closure grew longer as investigators worked. A SigAlert was issued shortly after 8 p.m. and later extended, with northbound lanes expected to remain blocked until around midnight. Officials did not immediately explain how many vehicles were involved beyond saying it was a multi-vehicle collision, and they did not release the identities of the victims Sunday night. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
For now, the clearest picture of the crash came from the people who stopped to help. Before the freeway turned into an investigation scene, it was a rescue effort marked by cries from the wreckage, strangers trying to reach the children in back seats and emergency crews using heavy tools to do what bare hands could not.
Author note: Last updated March 30, 2026.