Five Killed in Fiery Head-On Crash on Highway 67 Near Poway

Three Victims Identified: Roberto Martinez Oros, Marcial Rivera, Emmanuel Rivera

POWAY, Calif. (July 25, 2025) — A fatal three-vehicle collision on State Route 67 near Iron Mountain Drive claimed five lives last Friday in Poway, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Roberto Martinez Oros, 68, of Ramona, along with Marcial Rivera, 59 and his son, Emmanuel Rivera, 32, have been identified as three of the five who died in the crash.

The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. on July 18th when a northbound driver in a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck reportedly veered into oncoming traffic and struck the southbound Honda Civic driven by Oros head-on. Moments later, the father and son in the Toyota Tacoma pickup crashed into the wreckage, further compounding the impact. One of the vehicles plunged into a ravine, sparking a brief brush fire.

All five individuals involved in the crash including the driver in the Silverado were pronounced dead at the scene. As of Wednesday evening, just three of the five victims have been identified. One of two passengers who died in the Tacoma truck has not been identified.

Family members of Marcial Rivera and his son, Emmanuel Rivera, told reporters at CBS the pair worked for a landscaping company and were on their way to a job site when the crash occurred. A GoFundMe campaign is raising money for their funerals and to support the grieving family.

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