Two collisions occurred on Highway 243 in about one hour of each other last Thursday, according to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Matt Napier.
On Thursday, Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. Jennifer Nicole Brown, 20 of Hemet, was driving her white 2019 Nissan Sentra south on Highway 243 just north of Highway 74 at an unknown speed. According to Napier, Brown acknowledged to not looking at the roadway while talking to her passenger, causing her to lose control and veer off the roadway, colliding head-on with a parked silver 2007 Toyota Camry.
Brown was transported by Idyllwild Fire Protection District to Riverside University Health System Medical Center with major injuries. Her passenger was uninjured. Brown’s vehicle was towed by Idyllwild Garage. The parked Camry was in a private driveway and was not towed.
On Thursday, Feb. 18 at 12:15 p.m., Teresa Ann Nutterhoehn, 78 of Anza, was driving her red 1996 Infiniti G20 south on Highway 243 just north of Saunders Meadow Road at 45 mph. Omar Lopez, 36 of Oceanside, was on Highway 243 in his white 2020 Nissan NV3500 van also in the southbound lane, stopped at the intersection preparing to make a left-hand turn.
Due to Nutterhoehn’s unsafe speed for stopped traffic, she rear-ended Lopez. Nutterhoehn was transported by Idyllwild Fire Protection District to Hemet Global Medical Center with minor injuries and her vehicle was towed by Idyllwild Garage. Lopez was uninjured and his vehicle was driven from the scene.