Racing suspected in deadly crash in Moreno Valley

Four people were killed in a car crash Friday night on the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley that may have been tied to illegal street racing, Riverside County authorities said.

The victims, all of whom were in a white BMW, died at the scene around 7:30 p.m. on the freeway near Redlands Boulevard, said Sgt. Gene Carrillo of the California Highway Patrol. Preliminary statements from witnesses suggest the BMW may have been racing a “dark-colored Honda” shortly before the crash, Carrillo said.

Alcohol may have played a role, he said.

The driver of the BMW lost control and struck a center median, and the car landed on the other side of the highway, according to a CHP traffic incident log.

The force of the crash ejected two people from the vehicle. One person was in traffic lanes and the other on the roadside, according to the CHP log. Both died at the scene.

Three people were trapped in the BMW, two of whom also died at the scene, Carrillo said. A fifth victim was rescued after firefighters cut apart a section of the car. She was hospitalized with “moderate” injuries, Carrillo said.

The victims were all adults, the youngest of whom was 19, Carrillo said. Their identities were not available, he said.

Earlier this year, a Los Angeles Times analysis of coroner’s records, police reports and media accounts found that at least 179 people had died in suspected street races in Los Angeles County since 2000. There were 984 street-racing incidents in L.A. County last year — including spontaneous races and organized events, according to data tracked by the CHP.

Police say street racing in the area is on the rise, driven in part by racers’ ability to promote meet-ups, fuel regional rivalries and adapt to police responses through Instagram accounts. Spontaneous races on freeways and in other crowded areas where drivers might have to weave through other motorists at high speeds sometimes prove the most deadly, police have said.