HEMET: Woman seriously injured arrested for DUI after crashing into family of 5
The driver of the Toyota that caused the nearly head-on collision sustained major traumatic injuries. She was later arrested for DUI. Aric Bell photo
After receiving reports that a driver was trapped inside her burning vehicle, numerous emergency first responders rushed to the scene of the accident. Aric Bell photo
HEMET – A woman sustained major injuries when a vehicle she was driving drifted into the opposing lanes of traffic and collided nearly head on with a vehicle occupied by a family of five, according to California Highway Patrol officials.
The accident happened shortly after midnight Oct. 2 on Florida Avenue west of Warren Road just outside the City of Hemet.
CHP and Hemet police officers, Hemet firefighters, and AMR medics responded to the major injury accident.
The woman injured in the collision, who was later identified only as a 22-year-old female named Tatiana, was determined to have been driving under the influence of an unspecified intoxicant.
She was arrested for misdemeanor DUI at the hospital she was transported to after the accident, according to CHP officials who also said this was Tatiana’s second DUI within the last year.
Both east and west bound lanes of Florida Avenue were closed. Aric Bell photo
The accident was reported to CHP at 12:14 a.m. and Hemet police officers at 12:15 a.m. The first Hemet police officer arrived on scene of the collision within two minutes of the dispatched call.
Hemet firefighters and other emergency first responders began arriving within minutes of the first officer on the scene.
The accident left the destroyed vehicles and mangled car parts strewn about the roadway. Officers shut down all eastbound and westbound traffic on Florida Avenue while firefighters worked to free the trapped driver and provide first aid to the injured family from the other car.
A preliminary investigation conducted by CHP officers revealed Tatiana “was driving westbound on Florida Avenue when – for an unknown reason – she drifted or swerved into the opposing lanes of traffic,” CHP Officer Hoskins explained.
After smashing out the cars windows, Hayes attempted to pull the trapped woman from her vehicle. William Hayes dashcam footage
“When she entered the eastbound lanes of traffic, (Tatiana’s) car struck the other vehicle occupied by the family, causing a glancing front end impact,” according to Hoskins
Tatiana’s vehicle, a grey 1999 Toyota Camry, sustained major front end damage in the collision. Minutes after the accident her vehicle burst into flames; leaving the victim trapped inside the mangled and burning sedan.
William Hayes, a freelance photographer and cameraman who provides photos to Riverside County News Source, was one of the first on scene after the accident. Hayes immediately called 911 to report the collision.
Seeing Tatiana’s vehicle filling with smoke, Hayes ran back to the burning car and used a tire iron to break the vehicles windows to ventilate the smoke and try to rescue the victim from her burning car. Other, unidentified motorists helped with traffic control through the area of the wrecked vehicles.
When Hemet police officers arrived, they used fire extinguishers to extinguish the car fire.
William Hayes broke out the cars windows to clear smoke from inside the wrecked Toyota and to try and help the victim. William Hayes photo
Due to the efforts of Hayes and the first arriving officers, the fire was extinguished giving responding firefighters time to arrive at the location.
Hayes’ actions were caught on a dashcam that was later shared on several television news stations.
As additional Hemet police officers and Hemet firefighters began arriving Hemet firefighters took over the rescue operation.
At 12:20 a.m., just six minutes after they were dispatched to the scene of the accident firefighters from Engine Company 3 and 4 reported to dispatchers that getting Tatiana out of her mangled vehicle was going to require an “extensive extrication and an extensive cut and rescue operation.”
Due to the severity of her injuries, firefighters initially called for a Mercy Air Ambulance to fly Tatiana to a local trauma center.
A firefighter uses the Jaws of Life to extricate the victim from her Honda. John Strangis photo
Minutes later – after using the jaws of life – firefighters had successfully extricated Tatiana from her sedan; however, they reported her condition had worsened and she had gone into traumatic full arrest. Based on her going into full arrest, firefighters cancelled the air ambulance.
At 12:38 a.m., just 24 minutes after the call was dispatched, Tatiana was transported by ground ambulance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley. She was in full arrest with major traumatic injuries when she was transported to the hospital, according to Hoskins.
Despite the severity of her injuries, Tatiana survived the collision; however, she sustained a broken pelvis, a broken right foot and right leg, facial trauma, and other major injuries, according to Hoskins. He described her injuries as “very severe.”
A family of 5 was in the Nissan that the drunk driver smashed into. The family of 5 were all transported to a local hospital. John Strangis photo
The family of five Tatiana smashed into, was driving a 2015 Nissan Altima, according to Hoskins. After the impact, the Nissan spun around and ended up off the roadway in a field. Every one of the family members was transported to Hemet Valley Hospital with complaints of pain.
After Tatiana was taken to RUHS for treatment, she was arrested by CHP officers, who “determined she had been driving under the influence when the accident happened,” Hoskins stated.
“Excessive speed was also determined to be a contributing factor in the collision,” according to Hoskins
Both vehicles were later towed from the scene.
The accident is being investigated by CHP officers.
Anyone with information about this accident or who witnessed the collision is asked to contact CHP Officers Austin or Hoskins at the CHP’s San Gorgonio Pass Station at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.
Unusual for the DUI driver to be injured, but better her than the family of 5. 2nd DUI in a short period of time. Taking her license won’t stop her, hopefully the injuries and jail wilk.
Alcoholics rarely learn…I just st hope you’re right though.
You really had me anxious to read when I saw your headline. …family of 5 arrested for DUI. That’s my critique of your wording. As far as the content, I’m sorry to hear of this sad thing.
My wife later pointed out the same thing. That is what I get for posting a story at 5 a.m. after working for over 28 hours straight. LOL I have changed the title around a bit to not be so confusing.
This is the new title:
HEMET: Woman seriously injured arrested for DUI after crashing into family of 5
-TM
I’m glad the family was okay. This has got to be one of the first times I’ve read that a drink driver sustained major injuries, rather than the other party. Hopefully she learned her lesson?
Considering this was her second DUI in one year, let’s hope so. But from what I understand her injuries were quite bad and she won’t be able to drive for quite a while.
-TM