Man identified after big rig sideswipes pickup truck on I-10

A 47-year-old man from Guatemala was killed early Thursday morning in a crash on eastbound I-10 after his pickup truck was sideswiped by a big rig in Desert Center. The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Sergio Ramirez Morales of Villa Nueva.

The crash happened west of Hayfield Road in Chiriaco Summit at 4:04 a.m.

Authorities said Sergio Ramirez Morales was driving a Chevrolet S-10 and was towing a Nissan Sentra in the right lane of the freeway.

The driver of the big rig was alongside the Chevy in the left lane of I-10. He ended up traveling into the right lane and the right front of the big rig struck the left side of the pickup truck, according to officers. Both vehicles traveled onto the right shoulder of the interstate and the Chevrolet overturned after separating from the Nissan.

The pickup truck came to a rest on its roof and it was partially underneath the front of the big rig, the California Highway Patrol said in a release. Ramirez Morales died at the scene.

The driver of the big rig was injured in the crash.

The CHP doesn’t suspect alcohol and/or drugs to be factors in the crash. The cause of the collision is under investigation.

The interstate wasn’t closed during the accident investigation but traffic was moving slow through the area.