A fatal car accident claimed the life of a Desert Hot Springs man May 29 on a roadway near Interstate 10.
According to a May 30 NBC Palm Springs report, the man reportedly drove up a dirt embankment and overturned down the hillside into a dirt wash area. He was ejected from his vehicle, a 1994 Toyota pickup truck.
"For reasons still under investigation, the pickup made an unsafe turn to the right and drove off the roadway in a northwesterly direction, up a dirt embankment, then overturned down a steep hillside into a dry dirt wash area," California Highway Patrol Officer David Torres said, according to NBC Palm Springs. "The driver did not appear to be wearing his seat belt, and as a result of the crash, the driver was ejected from the Toyota."
The Riverside County Coroner's Office identified the pickup truck driver as 32-year-old Rex Orton of Desert Hot Springs, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department website. The coroner put the time of death as 6:38 p.m. and the location as westbound I-10, 5.3 miles east of Dillon Road. This would mean Orton died shortly after the accident was reported.
A Twitter post by Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said units responded to a fatal traffic accident near milepost 63 at approximately 6:13 p.m. May 29. Arriving on the scene, fire personnel saw that the driver of the pickup truck was the only occupant, and they reported he was deceased.
As the investigation continues, one of the questions is why Orton suddenly made a right turn, as well as whether drugs or alcohol had anything to do with the accident, NBC Palm Springs reported. Orton was driving approximately 70 mph when the crash happened.
Meanwhile, investigators are welcoming any information the community might offer on the accident, which can be shared with CHP Officer Maclis at 760-772-5300, according to NBC Palm Springs.