Third Fatality At Interchange

I-10/215 junction wrecks kill 3 people in 8 days

By: JOE NELSON

A Federal Express courier became the third motorist killed in eight days at the interchange of Interstates 10/215 in San Bernardino when his delivery truck was rear-ended by a speeding car on Thursday, officials said.

Troy L. Brown, 32, of Fontana was pronounced dead at the scene of the 9 a.m. accident, San Bernardino County Deputy Coroner Gabriel Morales said.

On Wednesday, Jessica Estrada, 18, of Rialto died after the car she was returning home in from Rialto High School graduation practice veered off I-215 south while the driver was trying to get onto westbound I-10. The woman driving the car, Rebecca Johnson, 18, of Rialto, was in fair condition Thursday at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

And on June 7, Carina Rodriguez, 21, of Bloomington died when she smashed her 2000 Honda Civic into the back of a parked tractor-trailer near the bottom of the onramp to southbound I-215 south of I-10 in Colton.

Thursday's accident occurred when Mustang driver Richard Harrison, 58, of San Bernardino took the transition from Interstate 10 east onto I-215 north, California Highway Patrol spokesman Kevin Haney said.

When Harrison, who was traveling about 100 mph, pulled back into the number two lane, he slammed into the back of the Federal Express truck just before the Orange Show Road exit, sending the truck crashing into a telephone call box, down an embankment and into a tree, Haney said.

Torn and twisted fragments of metal and fiberglass from the Federal Express truck were strewn across the freeway, shoulder and embankment.

A curled California license plate lay in the middle of the road, slowly swaying in the gentle, hot wind. Contents from the truck's cab lay scattered along the embankment.

Brian Jones, 27, of Riverside, who works at Freeway Lincoln Mercury Volkswagen nearby, stood in the parking lot of Valley Tile watching the cleanup.

He said he went to the accident scene because he was worried the Federal Express driver killed was the one who made deliveries to the dealership.

"It looks like a bomb went off in that thing," Jones said of the damage to the truck. "This is a pretty bad stretch of freeway. We had a girl die here yesterday, and now this today."

Harrison was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center and transferred to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana where he was in good condition, but under evaluation, hospital officials said.

Colton firefighters used hydraulic prying tools to extricate Brown from the truck. His muscular, yet limp body was placed in a yellow body bag.

Federal Express officials expressed sadness.

"Federal Express expresses its sincere condolences to Mr. Brown's family and loved ones. Like them, we have lost an important part of our family," said Federal Express spokesman Cornell Christian from the company's main headquarters in Tennessee.

"Mr. Brown had been a valued Federal Express employee for the past eight years."

Robert Romero, 23, who works at Valley Tile off the freeway, was standing inside the store when the accident occurred. He said he heard what sounded like a loud, cardboard-like ripping sound. Then he ran outside to see what was happening.

"All I saw was this green hood flying by. It (the Mustang) was going so fast, it looked like the hood was just flying in the air. I couldn't even see the car, it was going so fast," Romero said.

Then Romero saw the Federal Express truck.

"He (Harrison) hit that sucker hard," Romero said.

Haney said Harrison may face criminal charges.

"He's not under arrest at this time ... we're still looking into that. It's still a possibility," Haney said.

PaperDesk Digital Collections, The San Bernardino County Sun, Friday, June 16, 2000