At 12:24 p.m. Sunday, May 6, a rear-end collision took place on Highway 74, one-tenth of a mile east of the intersection of Highway 371.
Karin Vega, 22 of Mountain Center, while riding west on a green 2013 Kawasaki Ninja traveling 40 miles per hour, struck the rear of a Four Winds trailer attached to a gray 2016 F-350 pick-up truck, driven by Michael McGuirk, 57, of Amador.
McGuirk was traveling 30 miles per hour slowing toward a stop. Vega failed to slow down sufficiently and collided with the trailer, sustaining major chest trauma and causing only minor damage to the trailer. Vega was transported via ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center.
At 1:10 p.m. Friday, May 4, a hit-and-run collision occurred on Highway 74, three-tenths of a mile east of Bee Canyon Road. Melisa Mayden-Melgaard, 51, of Hemet, driving a silver 2013 Hyundai Elantra, avoided a head-on collision by veering right.
The vehicle struck three signs on the right shoulder and came to a stop. Mayden-Melgaard was unharmed, however, the vehicle sustained major damage.
The victim described the hit-and-run vehicle as a large white box truck that crossed a double-yellow line, driver unknown. A witness confirmed the incident details.
At 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, a single-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 74, a half-mile east of Scenic Drive. Mike Nam, 81, of La Quinta, driving a green 2018 Honda Civic, incurred major front-end damage to the Civic after colliding with a rock due to unsafe turning movement. Nam complained of back pain and was airlifted by Mercy Air to Desert Regional Medical Center.
At 11:20 a.m. Thursday, May 3, another single-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 74, east of Scenic Drive. Dylan English, 25, of Indio, driving a blue 2001 Jeep Cherokee at a stated speed of 50 to 55 miles per hour, turned his vehicle to the right and headed toward the south shoulder, traveled off the highway and onto the dirt shoulder.
English lost control as the front-right tire ruptured, his vehicle traveled out of control in a northeasterly direction and headed toward an inclined mountainside. English was unable to regain control and, consequently, the front of his vehicle collided into the mountain. After the collision, the vehicle came to rest on its wheels, facing an easterly direction, within the north shoulder.
English stated a Porsche was traveling toward him that caused him to veer to avoid a collision. There were no witnesses at the scene to confirm.
