Coroner IDs Man Killed In N. Palm Springs Wrong-way Driver Crash

NORTH PALM SPRINGS, CA — A man killed Monday night in a wrong-way crash on Highway 62 in North Palm Springs has been identified by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau.

Clinton Palmquist, 42, of Landers died at the crash scene.

The head-on crash was reported just after 10 p.m. on the eastbound side of the highway, about a half-mile east of Dillon Road, according to the coroner.

A witness contacted the California Highway Patrol to report a vehicle westbound in eastbound lanes, and the crash was reported a minute later, according to the CHP.

One vehicle was reported to have come to rest in the center divider, the other on the right shoulder at Dillon Road.

One person was on the right shoulder unconscious, the CHP said.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department had to use hydraulic tools to free a person from the wreckage, fire officials said. One patient was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries and another suffered minor injuries.

It's not yet clear which vehicle Palmquist was in.

The highway was shut down at Dillon, where traffic was diverted away from the crash. It was reopened just after 1 a.m.