Two Dead in Fiery Head-on Crash on 10 Freeway near Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – Two motorists were killed in a fiery wrong-way, head-on crash on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs, police said Thursday. The crash was reported about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday on the eastbound freeway near Indian Canyon Drive, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Jackie Quintero. Quintero said the fatal collision was spurred by the driver of a Jeep Compass going the wrong way on the eastbound I-10. Witnesses reported the vehicle was weaving in and out of the area near the center divider and the fast lane, Quintero said. The Jeep subsequently collided with a Toyota Camry driven by a 33-year- old Huntington Park man in the fast lane. "The Jeep immediately became engulfed in flames while the driver remained in the vehicle and succumbed to injuries at the scene," Quintero said. The driver of the Camry was also pronounced dead at the scene. Their names and additional identifying information was not immediately released. Debris from the crash flew across the eastbound lanes, resulting in lane closures that have since been cleared up. Alcohol or drugs have not been ruled out as potential factors in the collision, Quintero said. The CHP is investigating the crash. Witnesses were urged to call Officer Armendariz at 760-772-5300.