HEMET: Medical crisis sends car careening off Florida, through parking lot, into fence
HEMET — A driver was transported in critical condition after possibly suffering a medical emergency while driving toward Hemet earlier this evening. The accident happened at the border of Hemet, at the intersection of Florida Avenue and Dartmouth Street.
Officials rushed to the scene after a vehicle careened off Florida Ave, raced through a parking lot and plowed into a wrought iron fence. Robert Carter & Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents photo
Officials found the unconscious driver after the victim’s vehicle careened out of control, crossing all opposing lanes of traffic on Florida Avenue. The car then crashed through a medical center parking lot – jumping curbs and mowing down poles – before crossing another street and smashing at full speed into a heavy, wrought iron fence.
Emergency first responders were dispatched to the accident at 6:43 p.m., after receiving reports of the solo-vehicle accident. 911 callers told emergency dispatchers an unconscious man was trapped inside the wrecked vehicle and did not appear to be breathing.
Because the accident happened on the border separating City of Hemet and an unincorporated area of Hemet, fire and law enforcement resources from both City and County were initially sent to the accident. CHP also responded and handled the accident investigation.
While other agencies were rushing to the scene, an AMR ambulance crew that happened to be around the corner when the crash happened was first to arrive at the location. San Jacinto Valley-based, community news team Public Safety Incidents arrived just behind AMR and the two community reporters, Robert Carter and Timothy Franzese, were able to film and document the dramatic rescue and resuscitation efforts.
The medics found the driver and sole occupant, believed to be an older male, unconscious in the driver’s seat of a dark-colored Honda Civic. Medics were initially unable to gain entry and access to the victim because the vehicle’s windows were rolled up and the car’s doors were locked. Without wasting a moment, one of the medics whipped out an emergency window breaking tool and shattered the driver’s side window, allowing the medics to begin assessing and treating the victim.
Within moments, the two medics had the victim pulled from the sedan and had begun CPR on the sidewalk near the wrecked vehicle. As firefighters, paramedics and other officials began arriving the victim was quickly loaded onto the ambulance that was first to arrive at the scene and the man was raced to Hemet Valley Hospital.
Witnesses reported the driver might have suffered a medical crisis just before the accident. Robert Carter & Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents photo
Firefighter/paramedics went with the ambulance crew and were seen continuing to perform CPR on the victim as the ambulance raced the quick mile and a half to HVH’s emergency room.
Evidence at the scene indicated the Honda had possibly been travelling westbound on Florida Avenue approaching Dartmouth Street just prior to the accident.
According to other motorists and witnesses, the vehicle suddenly began to drift from the westbound lanes of traffic into the eastbound lanes, somehow managing not to hit another vehicle in spite of rush hour traffic. The sedan then veered sharply to the left, jumping a curb and racing through the Valley Medical Center parking lot.
Thankfully the medical center that houses several family practitioners, which is normally so packed with cars that vehicles are forced to overflow park along Dartmouth street, had just closed for the evening. When the Honda careened through the parking lot it did not collide with any vehicles or pedestrians, only managing to hit a pole and a steel braided guide line helping to support a telephone pole.
The out of control sedan then narrowly missed a palm tree before jumping another two curbs, racing across Dartmouth Street and plowing into a perimeter fence that surrounds Hemet Valley RV. The collision destroyed about twenty feet of wrought iron fencing.
Area resident Sandra Jensen later said she had just pulled out of a nearby fast food restaurant when she saw the Honda careening through the medical center’s parking lot.
“I only spotted it after the car was speeding through Dr. McKenzie’s parking lot, Jensen explained. “At first I thought it was just some maniac too impatient to wait for the light at the intersection.”
According to Jensen, a woman walking on the sidewalk barely managed to get out of the out of control car’s way.
“I thought for sure she was about to get hit,” said Jensen. “She needs to go out and buy a lottery ticket.”
Officials are still investigating the cause of the accident and the victim’s current condition was not known.
This is a developing story that will be updated if new information becomes available.
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Robert Carter & Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents video
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Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 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 14 grandchildren.