An investigation is underway after an Amazon delivery van struck a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department patrol SUV stopped at the scene of a crash Saturday evening, killing two pedestrians and injuring two Sheriff’s Department members, officials said.
The crash occurred just after 6:30 p.m. when the Amazon van was heading south on Van Buren Boulevard near the 56th Street intersection in Jurupa Valley and struck the Sheriff’s parked vehicle, sending the SUV careening into the four people, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release Sunday.
A Community Service Officer and a volunteer for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department had parked the patrol SUV behind the vehicles involved in a previous crash in the area around 5:54 p.m., blocking the No. 1 southbound lane of Van Buren Boulevard with its emergency lights on, officials said.
The Sheriff’s vehicle was unoccupied when the van crashed into it, but the force from the collision pushed the SUV far enough to strike the two Sheriff’s Department members and two civilians who had been standing by the scene, the CHP said.
The incident prompted the temporary closure of Van Buren Boulevard between Jurupa Road and Limonite Avenue, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reported Saturday.
Both the community service officer and volunteer for the Sheriff’s Department sustained major injuries and were taken to Riverside Community Hospital. They’re expected to make a full recovery, the CHP reported.
The two civilians suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not yet released their identities, however, CHP said the deceased victims were the drivers of the two vehicles that had crashed into each other earlier on Van Buren Boulevard.
The Amazon van driver was also transported to a local hospital for complaints of pain, the CHP said, adding that drug or alcohol impairment is not believed to be a factor in what lead to the fatal crash.
The collision is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol, officials said. Any witnesses who may have observed the incident were encouraged to call the CHP at 951-637-8000.
