MEAD VALLEY: Woman arrested, small child critically injured, after vehicle slams into pole

MEAD VALLEY — A woman suspected of driving under the influence was arrested and a child was critically injured after the woman plowed head-on into a utility pole, Sunday morning Nov. 19. The early morning accident happened on Cajalco Road, just west of Clark Street, in the unincorporated community of Mead Valley.

After an investigation, California Highway Patrol officers arrested 29-year-old, Andreana Teni Jackson-Hawkins. She was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI resulting in injuries and willful harm to a child.

California Highway Patrol and Riverside County Sheriff’s officials, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire personnel and American Medical Response medics responded to the crash just before 3 a.m., after other motorists and witnesses called 911 to report the crash.

When emergency first responders arrived at the scene, they found the mangled wreckage of a dark-colored sedan that had slammed into a utility pole on the westbound side of the roadway.

Firefighters and paramedics treated a young child who had suffered major, traumatic injuries. AMR medics eventually rushed the child to an area trauma center with critical injuries. The child’s current condition is not known.

Paramedics also treated the female driver, later identified as Jackson-Hawkins, before she was transported by ground ambulance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley. Her injuries were described as minor.

While paramedics treated the injured driver and passenger, CHP officers investigated the cause of the crash.

Officers determined Jackson-Hawkins was driving eastbound on Cajalco Road when, for an unknown reason, she veered to the left and crossed into oncoming westbound lane of traffic before slamming head-on into the pole.

It was not immediately known if Jackson-Hawkins or her young passenger were properly restrained and officials have not specified how or if Jackson-Hawkins and the injured child are related.

When Jackson-Hawkins was released from the hospital shortly before 4:30 a.m., officers arrested her.

An online jails records search revealed Jackson-Hawkins was released within hours of her arrest after posting $50,000 bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall Of Justice, Jan. 23.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or who witnessed the crash is encouraged to contact CHP’s Riverside area office at (951) 637-8000. Callers can refer to incident file number F41584017 and can remain anonymous.

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.