SAN BERNARDINO >> An alleged drive-by shooter was killed when the driver of the SUV he was in lost control of the vehicle and it crashed head-on into a tree, police said Thursday.
No bullets hit the intended victim, but he suffered minor injuries during his attempt to flee, authorities said.
“They did not hit the victim, but in the course of the shooting, the driver lost control of the vehicle, going head-on into a tree,” said San Bernardino police Lt. David Green.
Police responded to a report of a shooting and subsequent crash in the 1200 block of Blackstone Avenue just north of Base Line shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to Green.
Police found a wrecked black Dodge SUV with one person, later identified as James Eley, 22, of San Bernardino, inside it. Paramedics took Eley to a hospital, where he died.
The driver, Ronald Lewis, 26, of Long Beach, and another passenger, Jackson Kendrick, 23, of San Bernardino, were also treated for injuries suffered in the crash and were arrested, police said. They were being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga and were expected to appear Friday in San Bernardino Superior Court, according to booking records.
A fourth passenger, a woman, hasn’t been arrested but is the subject of further investigation, Green said.
In a statement, police said they recovered two handguns from the scene. The statement also said the intended victim and the two men who were arrested have ties to rival gangs.