Road-Rage Shooting on Highway 74 Turns Fatal, Prompts Hours-Long Closure

A road-rage incident on Highway 74 turned deadly Tuesday afternoon, after a confrontation between a tow truck driver and two motorists escalated into a chase and then a shooting near the community of Ribbonwood, just east of Anza.

The incident was reported just after 2 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 74 and Ribbonwood Drive, on the southern edge of the San Bernardino National Forest. According to CHP Officer Ricardo Palomar, officers were first called to reports of a crash, but further investigation revealed the three parties had gotten into a confrontation that turned into a chase through a road construction zone. Gunfire erupted during that chase, and one person was struck.

The victim was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he later died. His name has not been released. One man was taken into custody at the scene, though his identity has also not been disclosed.

The shooting prompted a full closure of Highway 74, the two-lane mountain road that connects the Coachella Valley to the Anza Valley and surrounding mountain communities. At its widest, the closure stretched from the bottom of the grade near Palm Desert all the way to the Highway 371 junction near Anza. Travelers needing to reach Anza or mountain communities were rerouted through State Route 243 or via Highway 371 from the Hemet side.

The closure was partially lifted around 1 a.m. Wednesday, with traffic now moving through one lane between State Route 371 and Palm Canyon Drive.

The investigation is ongoing.