Perris, CA (August 13, 2025) – Authorities have identified the victim of a deadly head-on collision on Tuesday evening as 49-year-old Ambrocio Cota of Nuevo, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Bureau.
The fatal two-car crash occurred shortly before 6:45 p.m. on State Route 74 near Joppe Avenue. California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators report that Cota was driving a 2010 Lexus IS250 eastbound at an undetermined speed when, for reasons still under investigation, the Lexus was involved in a head-on crash with a westbound 2024 Chevrolet Express van driven by a 23-year-old Perris man, with a 59-year-old male passenger in the front seat.
The impact caused severe front-end damage to both vehicles. Emergency personnel pronounced Cota dead at the scene. The van’s occupants’ conditions were not disclosed. A SIG Alert was issued, and the westbound lanes of State Route 74 remained closed for approximately two and a half hours as CHP diverted traffic and conducted its investigation. However, the inquiry remains active, and the Temecula Area CHP is asking any witnesses to contact their office.
