Photo by Peter Szabadi
Three crashes, one a motorcycle, one a solo vehicle, and one a two-vehicle incident with serious injuries marred the week in Idyllwild. According to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Darren Meyer, the first took place at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, on Highway 243 a mile and a quarter north of the Highway 74 intersection in Mountain Center. Rossen Chemelekov, 30, of North Hollywood, was traveling on his Honda motorcycle at an allegedly unsafe speed on a clear day, failed to negotiate a hard left turn and ran off the road. He was transported to Riverside County Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. According to Meyer, no drugs or alcohol were involved. At 3:40 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 during a rainstorm, Madison Clowdus, 18, of Temecula lost control of her vehicle and struck a tree and utility pole on Highway 243 just south of Riverside County Playground Road. Meyer reported Clowdus had to be cut from her vehicle and required transportation to Riverside County Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. A third incident, at about 4:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, resulted in major injuries to driver and passenger near McCall Park Road on Highway 74 in Mountain Center. A green Honda Civic allegedly traveling at an unsafe speed swerved to avoid a big rig, hit the embankment on the right side of the highway and sustained major front end damage. Both the driver of the Honda, Shane Patrick Doughty, 21, of Hemet, and the passenger, Levante Hensley, 20, of Hemet, sustained serious injuries. Both were airlifted, Doughty to Riverside Regional Medical Center and Hensley to Desert Regional Medical Center. The driver of the truck, Benny Walter, 49, of Perris, was uninjured. No fault has yet been assigned, according to CHP. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story identified Walter as the driver of the Honda Civic and gave his age incorrectly.
