Riverside man injured, son dies after rollover crash

A Riverside man was injured and his son was killed Monday after he tried to avoid a semitruck that lost a tire then lost control of his pickup truck, which rolled over twice on the 215 Freeway in Menifee.

The coroner has not publicly identified the son, described by the California Highway Patrol as a 22-year-old Riverside resident.

The crash occurred shortly before 6 a.m. on the southbound 215, just north of McCall Boulevard.

A semitruck hauling large round pipes was on the No. 2 traveling about 55 mph when the front left tire had a blowout, CHP Officer Mike Lassig said. Authorities are investigating what caused the blowout but don’t suspect any foul play, he said.

The truck pulled left and the driver was not able to maintain it straight, he said. It started to enter the fast lane.

A Toyota T100 pickup truck on the fast lane was approaching the semitruck. The driver saw what happened and tried to steer clear of the big rig, according to Lassig.

“He tried to take evasive action and steered into the center median,” Lassig said.

The driver lost control of the pickup which rolled over about twice before ending up on the No. 3 southbound lane, he said.

The pickup’s driver, a 46-year-old Riverside man, was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center with minor injuries. His son, who was sitting in the passenger seat, died at the scene, Lassig said.

The 45-year-old San Jacinto man driving the semitruck wasn’t injured.

The CHP closed the southbound lanes for about two hours to clear debris. Drivers were allowed to pass on the freeway right shoulder, Lassig said.