3-month-old infant identified as person killed during Riverside crash on 215 Freeway

The Riverside County Coroner's Office has identified an infant who died during a multi-car crash on the 215 Freeway in Riverside on Sunday night.

The 3-month-old infant was identified as Leon Edgington Morales from Perris. 

The crash was reported just before 7:40 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the freeway near Eucalyptus Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol's incident log. 

Paramedics with the Riverside City Fire Department who responded to the scene of the collision said that a pediatric patient was immediately rushed to a local trauma center. Four others, including another infant, were also taken to nearby hospitals, where Morales was later pronounced dead, firefighters said. 

Police said that the driver of the Toyota suffered moderate injuries, while the driver of the Nissan sustained major injuries. A woman and a child in the Nissan also suffered minor to moderate injuries, CHP officers said, noting that Morales was also a passenger in the Nissan.

Despite firefighters initially reporting that the incident was a single-car rollover crash, CHP officers later said that the crash involved three vehicles. 

"Preliminary investigation indicated a silver Honda Civic was stopped in the #1 lane. A silver Nissan Versa was traveling behind the Honda, followed by a grey Toyota Rav4," CHP officers said. "Subsequently, the Nissan struck the rear of the Honda, and the Toyota struck the rear of the Nissan."

Officers did not say what caused the Honda Civic to stop in the middle of the freeway. The driver and passenger of the vehicle complained of pain from the crash, but did not require hospitalization.

"No impairment is suspected," police said.

CHP's incident log revealed that one of the adults had to be extricated from the car by firefighters who used hydraulic-powered tools. They also noted that Riverside County Animal Control was summoned to the scene to take control of a dog that was inside the vehicle. 

A SigAlert was issued for all northbound lanes at 8:06 p.m. It was estimated to be lifted after two hours, but was extended until at least 12 a.m., CHP officers said. 

CHP officers are working to investigate what caused the crash. SkyCal flew over the scene at around 9:45 p.m., where the severely mangled vehicle was still stopped in the middle of the freeway.