Cathedral City Intersection Re-Opens After Deadly Crash

Cathedral City police re-opened a major intersection Thursday afternoon, six hours after a multi-car collision claimed a driver’s life.

Police were called to the intersection of Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road at 9 a.m.

Lt. Chuck Robinson said they learned the driver of a flat-bed truck, a Ford F-550, suffered some sort of medical condition when he clipped a Sunline bus, while traveling northound on Date Palm. The truck then hit a PT Cruiser that was stopped at the intersection with Ramon Road.

As a result, the PT Cruiser hit a Lexus SUV that was also stopped in front of it – crushing it between the two vehicles.

The driver of the Cruiser, identified as 91 year-old Neil McConaghy of Tacoma, Washington, was pronounced dead at a Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The driver of the F-550 is also hospitalized, Robinson said, and his identity is not being released.

Police Sgt. Corwin de Veas said the truck “forced both vehicles into the intersection, where (the truck) struck a white Ford Mustang which was legally traveling on Ramon Road.”

Police said drugs or alcohol were not believed to have been a factor.

Dozens of onlookers gathered around the accident scene — stunned by what they saw.

“Defensive driving is the way to go. It’s a war zone everywhere when it comes to driving,” said Cathedral City resident Daniel McAllister.

The intersection was closed until around 3:15 p.m., when Cathedral City police officers removed the barricades.