Coachella man dies in Sunday morning crash

A man killed in a two-car crash in Coachella Sunday morning has been identified by the coroner's office as Francisco Hernandez Cruz.

The 54-year-old Coachella resident was pronounced dead at the scene of the 5:45 a.m. crash on Harrison Street, about a mile south of Airport Boulevard.

The collision happened when a 21-year-old Thermal woman driving a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis northbound on Harrison Street allowed the car to travel into the southbound lane, striking the oncoming Pontiac driven by Hernandez Cruz, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The driver of the Mercury, Kimberly Gonzalez, was taken by ambulance to JFK Memorial Hospital with major injuries, according to the CHP.

The crash remains under investigation, but alcohol and/or drugs have been ruled out, the CHP said, adding that both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.