Big rig driver in fatal Cabazon crash was not speeding

The driver of a big rig that struck and killed a tow truck driver Tuesday morning was driving his vehicle below the speed limit, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The fatality was reported just after 9 a.m. on the westbound I-10, west of Haugen-Lehmann Way.

The victim, Jon Israel, 50, of Cabazon was found by emergency personnel lying partially in the slow lane of the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Cabazon resident was on duty with local tow company Stagecoach Towing when he parked his flatbed on the north shoulder of the freeway and got out of the truck, according to CHP Officer Darren Meyer, who said it was unknown why the driver pulled over, as there were no disabled vehicles needing service in the area.

As he was re-entering his truck, the man and the open tow truck door were struck by a semi driven by 52-year-old Riverside resident Marco Rodriguez, who “allowed his vehicle to drift onto the north shoulder,” Meyer said.

Rodriguez’s tractor-trailer was traveling at approximately at 55 miles per hour at the time of the collision.

Israel was thrown from the side of his truck onto the slow lane. The officer said a passing motorist stopped and pulled Israel of the freeway lanes. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, but Meyer said alcohol and drugs have been ruled out as contributing factors. CHP investigators also conducted a mechanical inspection of the big rig at the CHP’s Desert Hills Inspection Facility, though any conclusions made as a result of that inspection were not disclosed.

No arrests or citations have been made.

Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more

More: Today’s Top Stories

First Alert Forecast

More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations

Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2

Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2

We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2

Watch live newscasts

Noticias en español: Telemundo 15