Alcohol suspected in fatal early morning collision in Temecula

News headline from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department:

In the early morning hours on June 24th, officers from the Temecula Police Department responded to the intersection of Rancho California and Moraga Road in Temecula, regarding a reported traffic collision involving two vehicles. When the officers and other rescue personnel arrived, they discovered a male passenger in one of the vehicles was not breathing. Rescue personnel treated the driver and immediately transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 6:27 a.m.

Further investigation revealed the deceased male was traveling westbound on Rancho California Road approaching Moraga Road. The second vehicle was traveling eastbound on Rancho California Road approaching Moraga. As both vehicles entered the intersection they collided, causing one of the cars to swerve into a brick wall at the intersection, killing the driver. He was identified as Jason Hart, 27, of Temecula. The names and condition of the other victims were not released.

At this time of the investigation, it is suspected the driver of the second vehicle is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, but the investigation is continuing.

The roadway was closed for several hours while members of the Temecula Police Department’s Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team conducted their investigation.

Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact the Temecula Police Department at 951-696-3000.

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