3 Killed in Head-on Crash on I-10 Freeway, Ford Dry Lake Road in Blythe
BLYTHE, Calif. (Aug. 3, 2026) – Three people died in a head-on crash Sunday morning involving a possible DUI driver on the westbound side of the Interstate 10 Freeway in Blythe.
The people who died were identified by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner as Maria Dolores Romero Davila, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, Jose Luis Lomeli Jr., 44, of Riverside, and Fernando Lomeli, 38, of Riverside. A fourth person suffered major injuries.
The two-vehicle crash was reported shortly after 6:30 a.m. Sunday, August 2nd, just west of Ford Dry Lake Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP reported the Arizona woman driving a 2017 Mercedes C300 was traveling against traffic in the westbound lanes of the I-10 Freeway. Suddenly, the car crashed head-on with Jose and Fernando Lomeli’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
The Mercedes wound up stopped on the freeway, while the pickup truck ended up on the north dirt shoulder.
Both drivers died at the scene, but the right front-seat passenger from the Chevrolet died in an ambulance on his way to a
hospital, according to CHP officials.
Meanwhile, a passenger from the Chevrolet was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center with major injuries.
Detectives working on the case suspect that alcohol was likely a factor in the collision for the driver in the Mercedes, according to the CHP, but no other details were immediately released.
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When it matters most, trust Attorney James Johnson at Johnson Attorneys Group. We are a personal injury law firm serving clients who have been injured throughout California due to negligent motorists. If you were hurt in this collision, call 1-(800) 208-3538. We will request the police report, and the attorney will discuss your options. You are under no obligation to hire us, and there is no cost unless we win your case. Our personal injury law firm is a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
