Most westbound lanes remained closed for hours as CHP investigated a wrong-way collision near 14th Street that killed three people.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A wrong-way crash that killed three people shut most of the westbound 91 Freeway through Riverside for several hours Thursday, creating a major disruption for morning commuters while investigators and cleanup crews worked near 14th Street.
The collision occurred shortly after 2 a.m., well before the heaviest morning traffic, but the investigation kept most of the westbound freeway closed as the commute began. Authorities also shut the westbound 14th Street on-ramp. The closures caused backups on the freeway and added traffic on nearby streets before lanes reopened later in the morning.
California Highway Patrol officials said the crash began after a Kia Sportage traveled east in westbound lanes. CHP Officer Javier Navarro said the SUV struck a Volkswagen Jetta head-on. The impact caused the Volkswagen to overturn, and a semi-truck then struck the car while it was still moving.
The unidentified man driving the Kia and a female passenger in the SUV died at the scene, authorities said. The woman driving the Volkswagen also was pronounced dead. Their identities had not been publicly released as of Friday. Navarro said the truck driver was not injured.
CHP received reports of a wrong-way vehicle before the collision. Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and moving between lanes against westbound traffic. Navarro said officers began searching for the SUV after receiving calls from motorists, but the crash occurred roughly eight minutes after the first reports.
Emergency crews arriving near 14th Street found several damaged vehicles spread across the freeway. The collision and resulting investigation blocked westbound travel as firefighters, paramedics, CHP officers and cleanup crews worked at the scene. The damaged semi-truck required a heavy-duty tow before the freeway could be fully cleared.
The effects extended beyond the immediate crash site. Traffic slowed sharply on the westbound freeway, and congestion spread to streets near the closed ramps as drivers sought other routes. One local worker told CBS Los Angeles that backups on the freeway and surface streets delayed deliveries for her company.
The freeway was reopened later Thursday morning after investigators documented the scene and crews removed damaged vehicles and debris. The reopening ended a closure that had stretched through much of the morning commute, but the investigation into the fatal collision continued Friday.
CHP officials had not determined why the Kia entered the westbound freeway facing east. Navarro said investigators were examining the possibility that the SUV entered near Madison Street. Authorities had not announced whether impairment, distraction, confusion or another factor played a role.
The identities of the three people killed remained unreleased Friday, and autopsies were pending. Investigators continued working to determine the circumstances that led to the wrong-way trip and subsequent collision.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2026.