A Hemet High School student driving a 1994 Ford Ranger pickup ran a red light and plowed through a crosswalk crowded with approximately 30 students, sending eight to area hospitals, three in critical condition. Six females and two males were transported by first responders.
Parents were also in the vicinity, given that school was letting out, and watched with horror as the truck, driven by 18 year old Daniel Carrillo mowed down students. The incident happened at 2:42 p.m. on Wednesday May 30 on Stetson Avenue, just past the intersection with Bulldog Way. According to the California Highway Patrol report, Carrillo was traveling at speeds greater than permitted in the 25 MPH school zone.
The California Highway Patrol will conduct an investigation of the incident including a full inspection of the truck to determine if mechanical failure could have been the cause of the tragedy. “Criminal charges on the driver, if any, will be determined after all evidence is examined,” said CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer. Meyer confirmed that all injured students were Hemet residents and that no Idyllwild students had been hurt. Meyer noted that Carrillo stopped immediately after the collision to assist the victims. With Carrillo, a junior at Hemet High, in the truck at the time of the collision were his twin brother David and 16-year-old friend Armando Gonzalez.
