Coroner identifies 18-year-old man killed in Palm Desert car crash

One person was pronounced dead after a two-vehicle crash in Palm Desert on Tuesday morning.

The accident was reported shortly before 8:00 a.m. on Varner Road, west of Washington Street.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of a sedan was traveling east on Varner Road and approached the front of a white Ford pickup truck pulling a utility trailer traveling west on
Varner Street.

According to police, the Lexus veered to the right onto the unpaved shoulder and lost control. The driver corrected too sharply to the left in a northeasterly direction and entered the westbound lane, where he collided with the Ford.

The driver of the sedan, an 18-year-old from Cathedral City, was pronounced dead, CHP confirmed. He was identified as Andrew Castellanos.

There were two men in the Ford. Both complained of pain but had no major injuries.

Initial reports suggested that a vehicle had struck a tree, but the California Highway Patrol did not mention that the tree was a major contributing factor to the accident. Images from the News Channel 3 crew on the scene show a white pickup truck on the side of the road surrounded by tamarisk trees.

Varner Road west of Washington was closed for about two hours.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident.

Anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to call Officer Perez at (760) 772-5300.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continued updates.