HEMET, CA — A collision between a Riverside County Fire Department engine and a Mini Cooper in Hemet killed the Mini Cooper driver and a 10-year-old boy and left a juvenile boy and three firefighters injured, authorities said Saturday.
The crash occurred at 12:24 p.m. Friday and was immediately reported by the engine crew at the intersection of Domenigoni Parkway and State Street.
Cal Fire Capt. John Clingingsmith told City News Service the crew was en route to a blaze burning along Highway 74 at the western edge of the San Bernardino National Forest when the collision occurred.
Investigators found that the fire engine was traveling northbound on State Street with its emergency lights and siren activated when it crashed with the Mini Cooper, which was being driven by a 43-year-old San Jacinto man and traveling west on Gibbel Road, which becomes Domenigoni Parkway at the intersection with State Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, was critically injured and had to be extricated from the wreckage, according to the CHP. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 10-year-old boy riding in the front passenger seat suffered severe injuries and was rushed to Inland Valley Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Another juvenile boy in the rear seat of the Mini Cooper was rushed to Riverside University Health System. The extent of his injuries was unknown.
The three county firefighters aboard the engine were also injured, but not critically, officials said. They were also taken to Inland Valley Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment. They were later released by medical personnel.
Personnel from the Hemet fire and police departments, as well as CHP officers and additional county fire crews, were sent to the intersection, which was completely shut down Friday afternoon.
Investigators do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash. Anyone with additional information was encouraged to contact the CHP San Gorgonio Pass-area office at 951-846-5300.
The CHP was handling the investigation because a state vehicle — the fire engine — was involved. The county has contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection and emergency services since the 1940s.
— City News Service
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