On Aug. 9 at 12:40 p.m., Oscar Soria Juarez, 29 of Anaheim, was driving his 2019 Kawasaki Ninja eastbound on Highway 74 west of McGaugh Road. Preliminary investigations show he crossed over the double-yellow line colliding head-on with Donald Leroy VanRiper, 69 of Hemet, who was driving his black 2004 Honda VTX 1300 westbound on Highway 74 with his passenger Diane Haering, 79 of Hemet. Juarez was transported to Riverside University Health Systems Medical Center by AMR with major injuries. Haering was transported by Mercy Air to Riverside University Health Systems Medical Center with major injuries. VanRiper was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported by the Riverside County Coroner. The Honda was towed by Idyllwild Garage. The owner of the Ninja made arrangements for the bike to be removed from the scene. Alcohol and drugs were not suspected as a contributing factor. The cause of the deadly collision is still under investigation.
Photo by Jenny Kirchner
There were four collisions (including two photos), one resulting in a fatality, on local roads and Highway 74 over the last week and a half, according to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Matt Napier.
On Aug. 3 at 7: 35 p.m., Chayton Martone Kenyon, 17 of Idyllwild, was driving his gray 2007 Mazda 3 westbound on Highway 74 just east of Dry Creek at a stated speed of 60-65 mph. Due to his unsafe speed, Kenyon lost control, crossed the double-yellow line and collided with Endellion Ann Murphey Trento, 18 of Idyllwild, driving her gray 2006 Subaru Impreza eastbound on Highway 74 at a stated speed of 35 mph. Trento was transported by AMR to Riverside University Health Systems Medical Center with a suspected broken leg. Kenyon was complaining of pain to his left arm but was not transported. Both vehicles were towed by Idyllwild Garage.
On Aug. 3 at 8:45 p.m., Christie Anne Colbert, 34 of Oceanside, was driving her black 2019 Toyota 4-Runner west on Overlook Drive. According to the California Highway Patrol, Colbert stated she was driving too fast, and due to her unsafe speed, made an unsafe turn and lost control hitting two vehicles parked in a private driveway. One was a silver 2017 Toyota Tundra, the other a white 2009 Toyota Highlander. No one was injured in the incident. Colbert’s vehicle was towed by Idyllwild Garage and the two parked vehicles were left at the scene.
Photo by Jenny Kirchner
On Aug. 3 at 8:10 p.m., Edward Reyes Loredo, 35 of La Quinta, was driving his blue 2011 Honda Civic westbound on Highway 74 just west of Carrizo Road at a stated speed of 45 mph. Brian Steven Torrez, 19 of National City, was driving his black 2005 Saturn Ion eastbound at a stated speed of 35 mph. For unknown reasons, Loredo lost control, crossed the double-yellow line into the eastbound lane colliding head-on with Torrez. Loredo was uninjured. Torrez was transported by AMR to Desert Regional Medical Center for lacerations. Both vehicles were towed by Valley Auto.
Director elections moved to November in 2022 At its regular November meeting, the Idyllwild Water District directors adopted new regulations for administering the sewer system and agreed to move their bi-annual August election for directors to the state’s November general elections beginning in 2022. The new sewer rule, Ordinance 65, replaces regulations adopted 20 years…
Sammy Busby offers acting classes at Hilltop Music and Acting Studio foradults and teens. He is calling his enterprise SHB Acting Studio, usinghis initials and making a nod to his training at New York City’s HBStudio with Uta Hagan, whose book A Challenge for the Actor will be thetext for the classes. The classes will…
At 9:06 a.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to an explosion and subsequent fire that occurred in a garage in the Foster Lake area. The fire was quickly contained. Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies deemed it a crime scene and it is under investigation. Photo by Joel Feingold
The Idyllwild Warming Center, located at and operated by American Legion Post 800, is available this winter, as it has been for the past two years. Located at 54360 Marian View Drive, the center opens, based on an existing activation protocol, when particular weather conditions occur. Those conditions are when an electrical outage affecting multiple…
The winter storms severely damaged two local highways, both of which remain partially or fully closed. Highway 74 between Mountain Center and Valle Vista is open daily from 4 to 8 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to midnight. Highway 243 to Banning is totally closed from Lake Fulmor north to Poppet Flats. The result of…
A 40-year tradition has come to an end. San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) is discontinuing the winter bald eagle count after reports the species’ population has stabilized. “After 40 years of conducting monthly bald eagle counts during the winter at three sites, in recent years with the aid of the public, officials with SBNF are…
