Teen Killed in Two-Vehicle Wreck in Winchester

WINCHESTER (CNS) – A two-vehicle collision that killed a 17-year-old girl in Winchester was triggered when one of the drivers plowed through a red light at an intersection, authorities said Friday. Giovanna Rizzo of Murrieta was fatally injured around 9 p.m. Thursday at Keller and Winchester roads, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officer Mike Lassig said the wreck involved a Nissan Titan pickup going eastbound on Keller and a GMC Sierra pickup going northbound on Winchester. Lassig said the vehicles were traveling at unconfirmed speeds when both of them entered the intersection, "which is controlled by traffic signals." "The Sierra’s front end broadsided the passenger side of the Titan, causing major damage," he said. "The Sierra rolled over after colliding with the Titan before coming to rest." No other vehicles were involved. Witnesses called 911, and Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location within 15 minutes. Rizzo, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Nissan, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 18-year-old man driving the pickup, whose identity was not released, was seriously injured, along with a teenage girl sitting in the backseat, also not identified. The GMC pickup driver, whose identity was withheld, suffered major life-threatening injuries, according to Lassig. All of the victims were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment. The preliminary investigation did not determine which of the motorists ran a red light. Anyone with information was asked to contact the CHP’s Temecula office at 951-506-2000. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.