Three traffic collisions occurred on mountain roads last week. One resulted in a fatality, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Public Information Officer Matthew Napier.
On March 17 at 10:35 a.m., Richard Andrew Regllo, 25 from San Marcos, was traveling at 35 mph southbound on Highway 243 south of Poppet Flatts Road in a white 2017 Toyota Tacoma. According to Napier, Regllo was traveling too fast for the wet roadway conditions and lost control while negotiating a left-hand curve, colliding with a metal guardrail on the west side of the roadway. Regllo was not injured and his vehicle was not towed.
On March 18 at 11:25 a.m., Ryan Jordan Peck, 29 of Anaheim, was driving a black 2010 Ford Edge. According to Napier, Peck was traveling southbound on Highway 243 near Mellor Ranch Road between 45-50 mph while Stephine Jean Jackson, 41 of Irvine, was driving a white 2020 Land Rover Discovery traveling northbound at 25 mph. Peck was unable to maintain his lane and lost control due to unsafe speed in the snowy and icy conditions. Peck traveled across the road and collided with Jackson. Neither party was transported by ambulance. Idyllwild Garage towed both vehicles.
On March 18 at 2:20 p.m., 75-year-old David Serrano Sermeno and his passenger Lupe Mary Sermeno, both from Perris, were traveling eastbound on Highway 74 in a gray 2017 Nissan Versa east of Fobes Ranch Road at about 40 mph. Urbano Tinoco, Jr., 30 of Hemet, was driving a gray 2006 Ford F150 westbound at 15 mph during snowy and icy conditions. For unknown reasons, Sermeno crossed over the double yellow line in the path of Tinoco. David Sermeno suffered minor injuries and was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center by Idyllwild Fire Protection District ambulance. Lupe Sermeno was also transported to Desert Regional Medical Center by Idyllwild Fire Protection District ambulance, but was pronounced deceased on March 19 at 3:39 a.m.