A collision in Hemet, California, involving a Riverside County Fire Department engine and a Mini Cooper killed two people, including a 10-year-old boy, and injured four others, authorities said Saturday. The crash happened at 12:24 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Domenigoni Parkway and State Street, as the fire engine was responding to a blaze along Highway 74 near the western edge of the San Bernardino National Forest.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the fire engine was traveling north on State Street with its emergency lights and siren activated when it collided with the Mini Cooper, which was heading west on Gibbel Road, a road that becomes Domenigoni Parkway at the intersection. The driver of the Mini Cooper, identified by officials as a 43-year-old San Jacinto man, was critically injured and had to be extricated from the wreckage. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
A 10-year-old boy riding in the front passenger seat suffered severe injuries and was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A second juvenile boy seated in the rear of the Mini Cooper was taken to Riverside University Health System hospital. Authorities did not immediately release the extent of his injuries.
Three firefighters aboard the engine were also hurt in the crash, though officials said their injuries were not life-threatening. They were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center for evaluation and treatment and were later released.
The intersection was shut down for several hours Friday afternoon as Hemet fire and police personnel, CHP officers, and additional county fire crews responded to the scene. Officials said investigators do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the collision.
Because a state vehicle was involved, the California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. Anyone with information about the crash was asked to contact the CHP San Gorgonio Pass-area office at 951-846-5300.
Riverside County has contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection and emergency services since the 1940s. The crash drew a large emergency response and renewed attention to the risks faced by both first responders and motorists at signalized intersections during emergency operations.
