Multiple traffic collisions on local roads
Multiple collisions occurred from July 1 to 11, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Public Information Officer Matt Napier.
At 8:25 a.m. Thursday, July 1, Mark Charles Wakeling, 53, of Winchester, was driving a red and white 2019 Cal Fire Dodge Ram 5500. Wakeling was in an on-duty emergency vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 74 5,000 feet west of South Fork Trail at 40 mph as a tan or brown motor home with an unknown driver was traveling westbound at an unknown speed. The motor home drifted over the double-yellow line as it was passing Wakeling and the left side collided with the left side of the Ram 5500. The driver of the motor home did not stop.
Wakeling continued eastbound on Highway 74 and was involved in a second collision at 8:30 a.m. At 4,000 feet west of South Fork Trail, Wakeling was traveling at about 10 mph ahead and to the right of Lorraine Sonoqui, 56, of San Jacinto, who was traveling eastbound in the number one lane between 40 and 45 mph in a black 2013 Ford Fusion. In an attempt to make a u-turn, Wakeling traveled into the path of Sonoqui and the front left of the Ram 5500 collided with the front right of the Fusion. Sonoqui was transported by American Medical Response to Hemet Global Medical Center for possible injuries. The Fusion was towed by Idyllwild Garage.
At 8:15 a.m. Monday, July 5, Jordan Allen Slaughter, 31, of Palm Springs, was traveling northbound on Highway 243 2,000 feet south of Forest Service Road 4S05 at 40 mph on a red 2019 Ducati Monster. Slaughter veered to the right onto an east dirt shoulder, struck an embankment and was ejected from the motorcycle.
The motorcycle was towed by Idyllwild Garage and Slaughter was transported by American Medical Response to Desert Regional Medical Center for suspected minor injuries.
At 2:25 p.m. Thursday, July 8, William Colverhouse, 80, of La Quinta, was traveling eastbound on Highway 74 0.2 miles west of Ribbonwood Drive at a stated speed of 45 mph in a white 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. Colverhouse told CHP he was distracted looking down to the right, allowing the vehicle to veer off the road to the right. When he looked up, he collided with the ascending mountainside into a wooden sign, overturned and came to rest on the wheels of the vehicle and blocking the roadway.
The vehicle was towed by Valley Auto.
At 4:37 p.m. Sunday, July 11, Paul Roland Gallant, 31, of Hemet, was traveling southbound on Highway 243 800 feet north of Highway 74 at about 30 mph in a red 2000 Ford Mustang. Jiahao Ye, 18, of Diamond Bar, was traveling ahead of Gallant in a silver 2019 Honda Clarity. Thomas Joseph Titus, 31, of Idyllwild, was traveling on Highway 243 in a gold 2008 Subaru Outback. Ye came to a complete stop in the southbound lane directly behind Titus, who was also at a complete stop. Gallant struck the rear of the Clarity, pushing it into the Outback.
The Clarity was towed by Idyllwild Garage.
At 8:45 p.m. Sunday, July 11, Esperanza Marquez, 47, of Idyllwild, was at the Mountain Center Market by the fuel pumps in a white 2014 Dodge Journey driving in a northeasterly direction in the parking lot at an unknown speed. Marquez made a left turn and collided with the small retaining wall and went down an embankment. The officer on scene arrested Marquez after she failed a sobriety test.