Riverside County woman ejected from car during deadly 215 Freeway crash in Perris

A 24-year-old woman was killed in a multi-car crash on the 215 Freeway in Perris over the weekend, according to police.

In a news release shared by the California Highway Patrol, officers said they were called to northbound lanes of the freeway north of Ramona Expressway at around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday for reports of a two-car crash. 

Their preliminary investigation revealed that a 2008 Mazda 3 was "traveling at a high rate of speed when it lost control, left the roadway, and collided with the guardrail in the center median," according to the release.

The crash caused the car to overturn onto its roof, winding up in the left-most lane, where it was immediately struck by a 2015 Ford Explorer, police said. 

"An occupant of the Mazda was ejected from the vehicle during the crash sequence and sustained fatal injuries," the release said. She has since been identified by the Riverside County Sheriff's Coroner as Moreno Valley resident Valerie Martinez. 

CHP officers said that the other occupant of the Mazda sustained moderate injuries in the collision, while the two occupants of the Ford were uninjured. 

"Alcohol is a factor in this crash," police said. 

Anyone who knows more was asked to contact CHP Accident Investigation Unit Officer N. Ortiz at 951-324-7210.