Drowsy Driver Smashes Into U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint; Nine Cars Hit

A tired driver who fell asleep behind the wheel on Interstate 15 is the reason traffic was so heavy Monday morning coming into the Temecula Valley, authorities are saying.

At around 8:30 a.m., 20-year-old David Arriaga of Riverside plowed his 2002 green Chevy Suburban into nine cars parked at the U.S. Border Checkpoint, just south of Temecula, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Nathan Baer.

Arriaga allegedly dozed off while traveling northbound on the I-15 at a speed of approximately 65 mph. As a result, the Suburban drifted across the freeway and into Border Patrol Checkpoint, Baer explained. 

“The front of the Chevrolet then plowed into nine parked vehicles,” the officer said. “The damage to the parked vehicles ranged from minor to major. A Chevrolet Avalanche was knocked onto its side and a Mercedes was pushed all the way to the fence, which separates the Checkpoint from the CHP’s Rainbow Inspection Facility.”

The Suburban sustained major damage, Baer said.

Arriaga’s only passenger was seriously injured in the crash, Baer said. The passenger’s identity was not released by authorities.

“This collision was avoidable. If you feel tired and fatigued it is not worth it to push your limits. It’s not just your life that you are putting at risk, it is also the lives of others around you,” Baer said. “We are very fortunate that nobody was killed.”