A single-vehicle traffic fatality occurred on Wednesday, Oct. 12, in Mountain Center. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Murawski, Kathi Vogley, 65 of Idyllwild, was driving westbound just before 2 p.m. on Highway 74, 1 mile west of McCall Park Road, when, for unknown reasons, she allowed her vehicle to drift to the right.
Vogley’s vehicle, a 2006 Mazda Miata, entered a paved pullout and then went over the side of the mountain, crashing down 300 feet.
Vogley was killed in the crash and her body was recovered. California Highway Patrol was on the scene Thursday, Oct. 13, assisting with recovery of the vehicle.
A serious motorcycle and car collision the day before the fatality caused the motorcycle rider to be transported with “severe” injuries,
according to the CHP report.
At about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, Chad Basaker, 25, of Idyllwild, was riding his 2004 Suzuki dirt bike south on Highway 243 just south of mile marker 3, near Saunders Meadow Road, when he crossed the double-yellow lines and sideswiped a silver Toyota Prius that was proceeding northbound and driven by John Carratello, 65, also of Idyllwild.
With Carratello, in the right-front passenger seat, was Tony Carratello, 30, also of Idyllwild. Neither was injured in the collision.
The motorcycle and Prius had moderate damage. The motorcycle was retrieved privately and the Prius was towed to Idyllwild Garage.
Basaker was unlicensed and his bike was not licensed for street use. His injuries consisted of broken bones and abrasions, and he was transported by ground ambulance to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley.
CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer said the report showed no drugs or alcohol to be causative factors and no other vehicles were involved.
