Menifee man dies in freeway crash; Murrieta man charged

A Menifee man died Tuesday in a freeway accident in which the driver of another vehicle was arrested on charges including murder, child endangerment and suspicion of driving under the influence.

Nyrik Anderson, 26, was pronounced dead at Inland Valley Medical Center, according to the County Coroner's Office. He was transported from the scene of the accident in the southbound lanes of the 215 Freeway south of Newport Road, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Anderson was the passenger in a vehicle traveling in the No. 1 lane in a 2004 Honda Accord about 8:38 p.m. when it was rear-ended by a 2014 Toyota Tacoma driven by Bryant Martinez Colin, 24, of Murrieta. According to the CHP report, the Honda Accord and a 2017 Ford Fusion in front of it were braking for slower traffic when Colin's vehicle crashed into the Honda Accord, forcing it into the Ford Fusion.

The driver of the Honda Accord, a 22-year-old female from Menifee, was treated for moderate injuries at Inland Valley Medical Center. The driver of the front vehicle, a 36-year-old male from Temecula, had no reported injuries.

A 7-month-old boy who was a passenger in Colin's vehicle was treated for minor injuries at Rancho Springs Medical Center. Colin is being held at Southwest Detention Center with bail set at $1 million. He faces felony charges of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, child endangerment and DUI, according to jail records. He has a June 19 court date in Murrieta.