RIVERSIDE, CA — Three people were killed in a violent wrong-way crash on the 91 Freeway in Riverside early Thursday, and officials later identified all three victims as investigators continued to reconstruct the moments before impact. The California Highway Patrol said the collision happened shortly after 2 a.m. and involved a vehicle traveling against traffic on the westbound side of the freeway east of 14th Street.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Bureau identified the dead as Alison Carey, 41, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Ana Ruiz, 42, of Garden Grove; and Rogelio Ruiz, 42, of Garden Grove. A fourth person was taken to a hospital, though officials had not immediately released that person’s condition or extent of injuries.

How the wrong-way driving unfolded on the 91 Freeway

CHP Officer Javier Navarro said witnesses first saw an SUV moving at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction. He said the driver of a Kia Sportage may have entered the freeway near Madison Street while trying to go eastbound, but instead ended up in the No. 2 lane on the westbound side facing oncoming traffic.

Multiple motorists reported the vehicle, and CHP officers began searching for it within moments of the 911 calls. Navarro said the sequence moved quickly: about eight minutes after the first reports, the compact SUV collided head-on with a Volkswagen Jetta. The crash set off a chain reaction that left the roadway blocked and emergency crews responding to a scene with multiple victims.

Impact of the collision and the vehicles involved

Navarro said the force of the collision caused the Volkswagen to overturn. While the car was still moving, a semi truck struck it, adding to the severity of the crash. The truck driver was not injured, according to the CHP.

Authorities did not immediately say which of the victims were inside which vehicles. They also did not provide details about the fourth person who was taken to the hospital. Even so, the account released by the CHP made clear that the crash involved several people and multiple vehicles, turning a wrong-way driving incident into a fatal freeway pileup in a matter of seconds.

Victims identified by the coroner's bureau

The identification of the three people killed brought some clarity to a case that had already drawn attention because of its speed and violence. Carey was from Tennessee, while the Ruizes were both residents of Garden Grove. The coroner’s bureau released their names Friday after notifying families.

Officials have not said whether the victims were traveling together before the crash or how they came to be in the vehicles involved. The release of their names marked one of the first confirmed updates after the collision, but many parts of the case remain unanswered, including why the wrong-way driver entered the freeway traveling against traffic.

Six-hour freeway shutdown caused major morning delays

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert that kept the westbound lanes closed for about six hours. That closure came during the morning commute and caused significant delays for drivers across the area as crews investigated and worked to clear the wreckage.

Wrong-way crashes on major freeways often lead to rapid shutdowns because investigators must secure the scene, assess injuries and remove damaged vehicles before reopening lanes. In this case, the closure stretched long enough to create a heavy traffic burden well into the morning, adding a broad commute disruption to an already deadly incident.

Investigation continues into why the driver went the wrong direction

Authorities have not said why the vehicle was traveling the wrong way. CHP officials have also not released additional information about the driver or whether impairment, confusion or another factor may have played a role. For now, the agency’s focus appears to be on reconstructing the route the Kia took and the timing of the 911 calls.

The crash remains an active investigation, and officials have indicated that more details may emerge as they review witness statements and other evidence. For the families of the three people killed, however, the immediate facts are already devastating: a fast-moving wrong-way collision, a chain reaction involving multiple vehicles and a roadway closure that lasted most of the early morning.