Skip to main content
Login
institutional access

You are connecting from
Lake Geneva Public Library,
please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.

Published • loading... • Updated

Nurse, Marine veteran killed on freeway after stopping to help crash victims

Police said the alleged DUI driver was arrested after the crash that killed an emergency room nurse and a Marine veteran who stopped to help.

  • On June 11, emergency room nurse Nereida "Nery" Benitez and U.S. Marine veteran Gary "Chad" Tillman died after being struck by a vehicle while assisting crash victims on the 15 Freeway in San Diego County.
  • California Highway Patrol officers reported the initial collision involved an alleged DUI driver, 21-year-old Jake Lopez Lawrence, who rear-ended another vehicle, forcing it into the center divider before the fatal secondary impact.
  • Benitez, a 40-year-old nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital, had recently joined the Air Force as a trauma nurse, while Tillman, a trucker and former Marine drill sergeant, served 12 years in the Marines.
  • The family of Benitez plans a memorial in Murrieta for Thursday, and a GoFundMe for the Tillman family titled "In Loving Memory of Chad Tillman" has been established to support both families.
  • As alleged DUI driver Lawrence faces arraignment Thursday for gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI charges, Emilio Hernandez, Benitez's husband, finds comfort knowing "they are out there, patrolling the pearly gates, looking for someone that needs help.
Insights by Ground AI

27 Articles

WKYCWKYC
+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Center

'She made things happen' | Husband remembers ER nurse killed helping crash victim on Southern California roadway

Benitez most recently worked in the ER and had just been accepted into the Air Force as a second lieutenant.

·Cleveland, United States
Read Full Article
WBAL-TVWBAL-TV
+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
Center

Nurse, Marine veteran killed on freeway after stopping to help crash victims

An emergency room nurse and a U.S. Marine veteran were killed when they were struck by a car after they stopped to help the victims of a crash.

·Baltimore, United States
Read Full Article
CBS NewsCBS News
Center

Temecula nurse, Marine veteran killed on Southern California freeway after stopping to help crash victims

An emergency room nurse from Temecula and a U.S. Marine veteran were killed when they were struck by a car on the 15 Freeway in San Diego County last week after they stopped to help the victims of a crash.

·United States
Read Full Article
ussanews.comussanews.com
Far Right

ER Nurse, Marine Veteran Killed Helping I-15 Crash Victim

Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe
Father's Day SaleGet 40% off Vantage subscriptions for yourself or a friend.Get Started

Bias Distribution

  • 92% of the sources are Center
92% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

ussanews.com broke the news on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

Baltimore, MD icon

Baltimore, MD

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
SearchBlindspot LogoBlindspotLocal