HEMET: Two injured, one arrested, after DUI driver plows into van
HEMET — Two people were injured and an allegedly intoxicated driver was arrested after reportedly running a red light and plowing into the back of another vehicle early this morning. The impact caused the allegedly drunk driver’s small SUV to overturn before it came to rest back on its wheels. The two-vehicle, rollover accident happened at the intersection of W. Stetson Avenue and Kirby Street in Hemet.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
NUEVO: One killed, one hospitalized, after 3-vehicle, head-on collision on Ramona Expressway
EASTVALE: Too young to legally consume alcohol, teen critically injures two in DUI wreck
MECCA: Woman’s charred remains found at scene of earlier fatal deputy involved shooting
City of Hemet Police and Fire personnel along with other emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene of the accident about 12:30 a.m., after other motorists and witnesses called 911 and reported the crash.
Officials discuss a DUI-related crash that sent two people to the hospital. The driver was later arrested. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
When officials arrived they found two wrecked vehicles, described as a blue Honda SRV and light-colored Nissan Quest. Every window of the Honda that overturned was broken out and shattered glass, vehicle parts and other debris littered the roadway.
After overturning, the heavily damaged Honda came to rest on its wheels west of the intersection and the Nissan was stopped nearby with heavy rear-end damage. Neither vehicle was left operable after the crash and both were later towed from the scene.
While paramedics treated two injured victims from the Nissan, Hemet PD investigated the cause of the crash and gave a field sobriety test to the uninjured driver of the Honda who reportedly caused the wreck. Witnesses at the scene reported that the driver failed the tests and was arrested at the scene.
The two victims from the Nissan were eventually transported to Hemet Valley Hospital for further evaluation and treatment of their injuries.
During their investigation officials called for the temporary closure of the intersection until the roadway was cleared of the damaged vehicles. The roadway was re-opened a short time later.
Hemet PD’s investigation is ongoing and officials have not released any information regarding their collision investigation and no information was immediately available regarding the Honda driver’s reported arrest.
Click any image to open full-size gallery.
Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video
Contact the writer: [email protected]
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 several other news organizations, including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook, as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 – soon to be 15 – grandchildren.