A mother and her two children were among victims in fatal Salton Sea crash

Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read
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Five people, including a woman and her two children, died in a car crash at this intersection of 81st Avenue and State Route 86 on Saturday.
Five people, including a woman and her two children, died in a car crash at this intersection of 81st Avenue and State Route 86 on Saturday.

The five victims of a fatal crash near the Salton Sea included a mother, her 6- and 7-year-old children and her boyfriend, the California Highway Patrol said this week. The Volkswagen she was driving collided with a semi Saturday evening, killing all five people inside.

CHP Officer Matthew Napier said the driver, identified by the coroner as 26-year-old Alexa Xiomara Felix-Reyes, was the mother of 7-year-old Matteo Emmanuel Robledo-Felix and 6-year-old Ariadne Isabella Robledo-Felix.

Felix-Reyes was also the girlfriend of Hernan Montes-Hernandez, who was the front seat passenger. The other passenger who died, 24-year-old Victor Manuel Marmolejo-Cuarenta, was a friend of Felix-Reyes'.

Napier said the cause of the crash has not been determined and the investigation is expected to take several weeks. He added that officers are investigating whether Felix-Reyes ran a stop sign, but have not made a determination.

The Volkswagen was going on east on 81st Avenue when it collided with the semi that was traveling south on State Route 86. 81st Avenue has a stop sign at that intersection, but Route 86 does not.

Napier said investigators don't know yet if the five victims were wearing seatbelts. However, he said they have determined the two children were not in booster seats. Children must be secured in either a car seat or booster seat until they are either 8 years old or at least 4 foot 9 inches tall, under California state law.

The Riverside County Coroner's Office has not released toxicology results for Felix-Reyes. On Sunday, CHP said the driver of the semi was not under the influence.

Following the crash, Napier said he wanted to remind Coachella Valley residents that children should always ride in car or booster seats until they reach the appropriate age or height.

"Nearly every CHP office in the state has officers trained in the inspection and proper use of child safety seats," he said. "Call your local CHP office and schedule an appointment for a free inspection and to receive education on child safety seats."

The Coachella Valley's California Highway Patrol office is at 79650 Varner Road in Indio. It can be reached at 760-772-5300.

Update, Jan. 31, 2022: Due to incorrect information initially provided by the Riverside County coroner, an earlier version of this article contained a different spelling of Victor Marmolejo-Cuarenta's name. The coroner's office said it has updated its records.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mother and her 2 children among victims in fatal Salton Sea crash