Murrieta Man Injured in Fatal Wrong-Way I-15 Crash

A Murrieta man was injured when a wrong-way driver struck his vehicle head-on in a multiple vehicle crash early Thursday morning on Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore.

At about 1:05 a.m. Thursday, Elbert Barbar, 58, of Murrieta was driving a 2004 Honda Accord at about 70 mph in the fast lane of southbound I-15 just north of Lake Street when he was struck by a Fullerton man driving against traffic in the same lane, according to a spokesman for California Highway Patrol Riverside Area.

The wrong-way driver, identified as Jeffrey Murphy, 36, was thrown from his 2002 Honda CRV when the impact with Barbar's car sent him into the No. 2 lane, where a Peterbilt semi-tractor was traveling at about 55 mph, CHP Officer Travis Monks stated in a news release.

Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner's officials.

While Barbar suffered minor injuries, a 20-year-old San Diego woman identified as Brooke White, was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar with major injuries.

White was hit by the Peterbilt—which had spun out in a clockwise direction—as she stood along the southbound freeway shoulder. She was the passenger of a vehicle that had pulled off the road with a U-Haul truck, according to Monks.

There were a total of six vehicles involved in the wreckage, including two that were hit by flying debris, Monks said.

All lanes of southbound Interstate 15—from Indian Truck Trail to Lake Street—were closed from 1:17 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. due to the incident.

CHP had yet to determine what may have caused Murphy to be driving on the wrong side of the freeway.

Visit Lake Elsinore-Wildomar Patch for more coverage of this incident.