Two Killed In 215 Freeway Crash Identified

The two men who were were Murrieta residents, the coroner’s office is reporting.

Jonathon LaRue, 19, and Philip Molitor, 55, were pronounced dead at the scene yesterday after the Mercedes-Benz they were riding in crashed just south of McCall Boulevard.

Both men were pronounced dead at 12:23 p.m. Tuesday; the crash was reported just minutes before at 12:09 p.m. According to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office, both men were “partially ejected” from the four-door Mercedes sedan.

A third occupant, whose identity has not been released other than she was a 21-year-old Murrieta resident, was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center with critical injuries. Her current condition is unknown.

None of the Mercedes occupants were wearing safety belts, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Nathan Baer.

During an investigation of the crash scene, Baer said the Mercedes was registered out of Canyon Lake.

At press time, authorities have not confirmed which of the three vehicle occupants was behind the wheel.

According to Baer, witnesses reported that, for unknown reasons, the sedan drifted toward the center divide. The driver made a “hard correction,” which caused loss of control; the car got airborne, hit a dirt embankment and rolled, he said.

for more on the crash.