Woman dies after weekend crash in Palm Springs

An Indio woman died of injuries suffered in a fiery Palm Springs crash last weekend that also seriously injured the driver, the county coroner’s office reported Friday.

Monica Flores, 32, died at Desert Regional Medical Center at 10:35 p.m. Thursday. She was the passenger in a red Kia that crashed into a tree and a brick wall at 1:21 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of North Indian Canyon Drive and East Via Escuela.

Palm Springs police and firefighters found Flores and the driver unresponsive inside the burning compact car, which was pinned up against a brick wall along Indian Canyon Drive. Flores had to be cut out of the wreckage by firefighters, while police were able to drag the man from the car.

Palm Springs police Sgt. William Hutchinson said Friday he had not been updated on the driver’s condition, but officers at the time suspected he may have been driving drunk. Hutchinson said the department’s Traffic Bureau will continue investigating the circumstances of the crash, which could yield charges against the driver.