Winter storm conditions — snow, ice and road closures — have contributed to Hill vehicle crashes over the last week.
At 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, Luis Ronquillo, 60, of San Jacinto, was operating a highway construction vehicle on Highway 243, 12 feet north of McGovern Road in Pine Cove. Ronquillo was backing the vehicle east across the highway when he struck a white 2016 Toyota Tundra parked on the side of the highway facing north. The California Highway Patrol report faulted Ronquillo for backing his vehicle in an unsafe manner.
At 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, Donald Raymond, 56, of Beaumont, was driving a gray 2016 Ford Explorer westbound on Highway 74 just east of the intersection with Highway 243, when driving at an unsafe speed, according to the CHP report, he lost control of his vehicle and collided with the dirt hillside. Road conditions were snowy and icy at the time. There were no passengers, other vehicles or injuries in this incident. Raymond’s vehicle was towed to Idyllwild Garage.
At 4:45 p.m. also on Sunday, Feb. 17, Charles Jewett was driving a 2001 International Harvester plow westbound on Saunders Meadow Road in Idyllwild, just east of the road to the county transfer station. At the same time, Kyle Moreau, 20, of Beaumont, was driving a 2005 Jeep Patriot eastbound. According to the CHP report, the plow was travelling at an unsafe speed and sideswiped Moreau’s vehicle. There was no damage to the plow, but Moreau’s vehicle required towing to Idyllwild Garage.
Moreau complained of pain to the right shoulder but declined transport.
