8-year-old killed, siblings injured in violent head-on crash caught on video in Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Investigators are trying to determine what caused a violent head-on collision in Riverside that killed an 8-year-old boy and left his siblings in critical condition.

The two-vehicle crash, which happened Tuesday morning at the intersection of Arlington and Stover avenues, was caught on video.

According to the Riverside Police Department, the driver of a white Honda Civic was heading westbound on Arlington Avenue when the vehicle veered into the opposite lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a gray Nissan Sentra traveling eastbound.

The impact of the crash left both vehicles mangled. An engine block from one of the cars was seen on the ground near the curb. Also on the street were one of the car's two front wheels and axle, which were separated from the chassis.

Five people were rushed to hospitals, several of them with critical injuries, after a violent head-on collision involving two cars on a street in Riverside.

The driver of the Nissan, a 25-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Her three younger siblings, an 8-year-old boy, 10-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy, were in the car with her.

All of them were taken to the hospital, but the youngest boy did not survive his injuries, police said.

The driver of the Honda, identified as a 22-year-old man, was also hospitalized.

Investigators have not determined whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in Tuesday's crash.

Residents who live in the area told Eyewitness News they see scenes like this quite often.

One woman said a truck smashed into her home a month ago.

"A truck lost control at the top of the hill and went into my bedroom. My husband and my daughter missed it by two minutes. If not, they would've been dead," said Isabel Cisneros.

Resident Mallory Tichenor said speeding in the area has been a concern that she's brought up multiple times with the city. She said she spoke with Councilmember Steve Hemingway and other officials about getting lights, barriers and patrols.

She's also trying to set up a town hall meeting to discuss the issue.

"It's deeply impacting every one of us - not just because it's a community member and a child but because this can be any of us. It could be any of our children," Tichenor said. "... we're going to do everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen to another family again."