A driver with what appeared to be a gunshot wound died Tuesday after a two-vehicle crash just outside March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, turning an ordinary morning drive into a scene of chaos and unanswered questions.
The collision between an SUV and a sedan happened around 8 a.m. near 2nd Street and Z Street, as one of the drivers was reportedly on the way to work. Base officials later confirmed the person who died was an employee of the American Forces Network, but did not immediately release a name.
According to NBC Los Angeles, deputies were first dispatched after a call came in reporting an assault with a deadly weapon. When California Highway Patrol officers arrived, they told deputies that both drivers had been taken to the hospital in critical condition.
One of the drivers later died. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement, “It was later determined that the subject had injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.” The department’s Moreno Valley Investigation Bureau has taken over the case and investigators have not said publicly what they believe led up to the shooting or the crash.
AFN Connection And Local Context
As DVIDS notes, the American Forces Network Broadcast Center operates out of March Air Reserve Base, where it produces radio and television programming for U.S. service members across the globe. That close, on-base presence helps explain how officials were able to quickly confirm the victim’s employer, even as investigators work to piece together what happened off base on Tuesday morning.
Investigation Underway
Authorities said the crash took place off base within Riverside County, and the Moreno Valley bureau is now leading the investigation. No additional details have been released as the probe continues, and, as NBC Los Angeles reports, investigators have not identified any suspects or a possible motive.
Officials have said they will share more information as it becomes available, leaving residents near March Air Reserve Base waiting for answers about how a routine drive ended in gunfire and a fatal crash.
