4 dead in fiery, wrong-way crash on California freeway

Four people, including two teenagers, were killed in a fiery crash on Saturday night when a car heading northbound on the 15 Freeway in Temecula crossed the median and collided with an oncoming car.

The crash occurred shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, as the driver of a BMW M4 drove recklessly northbound on the freeway, north of Winchester Road, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.

At one point, for reasons unknown, the BMW veered to the left, crossed over the concrete median wall and continued across the southbound lanes into the slow lane, and into the path of a Nissan Sentra, the CHP said.

The front of the Nissan slammed into the right side of the BMW, and as a result of the crash, the BMW caught fire and became fully engulfed.

The BMW driver, a 25-year-old man from Moreno Valley, had major injuries, and was extracted from the car by good Samaritans as it burned, the release said. He was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center.

The front passenger of the BMW, a 23-year-old woman from Moreno Valley, and two teenagers, 14 and 15, in the back seat were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nissan driver, a 35-year-old Wildomar man, died en route to the hospital, the CHP said.

The front passenger in the Nissan, a 22-year-old man, was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center in critical condition.

Alcohol was not believed to be a contributing factor to the collision, according to the CHP.

Charges against the BMW driver are pending, the agency said.

Any witnesses are urged to contact the CHP, Temecula Area at (951) 466-4300.