In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a traffic collision between a vehicle and a Metrolink passenger train led to a fatality in Jurupa Valley. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene at Bellegrave Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard shortly before 5:30 a.m. after receiving reports of the accident.
The collision caused significant disruption, prompting a stretch of Bellegrave Avenue to be temporarily closed for investigation purposes. The vehicle involved was found with severe damage, located on railroad property, quite a distance from the grade crossing itself. Tragically, the driver remained inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office reported.
On board the Metrolink train, the majority of passengers escaped injury, forty-six were reported uninjured while one passenger was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. The Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station took charge of the ongoing investigation. At this point, they have not confirmed whether drugs or alcohol played a part in the devastating event.
An appeal has been made for witnesses, with authorities urging anyone who has information about the collision to step forward. Sergeant Rafael Lopez suggested that potential witnesses contact Deputy Linfoot of the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station at (951) 955–2600, or call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (951) 776–1099.
As of now, the identity of the deceased driver has not been released to the public, pending identification and the notification of next of kin. Investigation into the cause of the tragic incident continues, and updates are expected to be released as more details are uncovered.
