One Killed As Vehicle Rolls Over Side of Beaumont Freeway

The driver of a Honda Accord was speeding, lost control, smashed through a guardrail and rolled down an embankment at a major Beaumont freeway split, and a passenger was killed early Saturday in Beaumont.

The driver, Jiaming Zhang, 24, of Riverside, had reached speeds of 90 miles per hour as he transitioned from Interstate 10 to Route 60. Just west of Jack Rabbit Trail, his 2014 sedan collided with a concrete divider at about 4:22 a.m., California Highway Patrol officer DeJuan Harris said.

The impact caused Zhang to lose control of his car, veer across the roadway and crash into the wood and metal guardrail. The Honda sedan then tumbled about 100 feet down an embankment, the Riverside County Fire Department reported.

Zhang's right front passenger, 22, also of Riverside, suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene. The passenger's name was not released pending notification of relatives.

A second passenger, Hsuan Pan, 21, of Riverside, escaped with cuts to his head and was taken to Riverside County Regional Medical Center for treatment. Zhang was also moderately hurt and taken to the hospital, Harris said.

Drugs or alcohol do not appear to have been involved in the fatal wreck, which remains under investigation, the officer said.

— City News Service.