Woman Who Witnessed Monday Morning 15 Freeway Collision Offers to Pay for Funeral

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TEMECULA, Calif. – Tragedy struck twice in less than a week in the City of Temecula, both believed to be the result of a drunk driver.

The first was on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at around 6:15 p.m. when an allegedly intoxicated 19-year-old driver, who killed a 15-year-old girl and injured two other teens in a head-on traffic collision. Lily Harrison was killed when the vehicle was struck head-on on Rancho California Road, around ⅓ mile east of Via Santa Rosa in the City of Temecula.

On Monday, June 4, 2019, during the very busy early morning hours, a truck barreled through the southbound lanes of the 15 freeway in the area of Rancho California Road. The driver of the truck who was believed to be intoxicated at the time of the crash got out of the truck and stumbled on the northbound side of the freeway before collapsing.

Just before the crash, the sedan was driving southbound at a normal speed, it slowed behind the traffic ahead. The Chevy truck drove at speeds well above the speed limit hitting one vehicle sending it into the center median and then slamming into the sedan, shaving the entire top of the vehicle off. After slamming into the sedan, two other vehicles were struck by either the sedan or the truck before the truck came to a rest against the center divider. The other two vehicles included a sedan that rested on the right shoulder and a second vehicle that was sent off of the freeway and into the Temecula City Hall parking structure.

Being that the collision occurred at around 7:20 p.m. there were unfortunately many commuters who witnessed the collision or the aftermath. Veronica Renteria Dykstra was one, she said that she commutes daily from Menifee to San Diego.

“Because I do drive five to six days a week, it always worries me that something like this would happen,” said Veronica Renteria-Dykstra in a Facebook post. “I am not certain who passed or who the family is mourning the loss of their loved one today, but I am truly sorry for your loss. If there is anybody out there that knows who this family is, I would like to offer this poor family funeral services for their loved one at no cost to them.”

She continued to say that she wanted to offer the assistance because of how the collision touched her. Veronica Renteria-Dykstra said that she would like for the family to reach out to her at 951-XXX-XXXX (phone number removed, contact has been made with the family).