In the early hours of Sunday morning, a wrong-way driver on the 71 Freeway north of Chino Hills Parkway caused a series of crashes that tragically claimed the lives of four people. The driver of a 2021 Volvo, travelling in the wrong direction on the southbound lanes, collided with a 2018 Volvo carrying two people, before a 2001 Toyota and a 2008 Honda also crashed into the second Volvo.
The impact of the collisions was devastating, with one car erupting in flames and hampering rescue efforts. The driver and passenger of the 2021 Volvo were both killed instantly, while the occupants of the 2018 Volvo, identified as 38-year-old Ruth Mulisa Wambusa and 43-year-old Gedion Mbatha Mutuka of Lake Elsinore, also lost their lives.
The drivers of the two other vehicles involved in the crash were injured and are receiving medical attention. The California Highway Patrol’s Rancho Cucamonga Area office is currently investigating the cause of the accident, and anyone with information is urged to come forward and call 909-980-3994.
The tragic incident has left families and friends of the victims in mourning, and has once again highlighted the dangers of wrong-way driving on California’s highways.
