HEMET — Mason Drew Kohler, 31, has been booked on a felony murder charge, a felony hit-and-run charge involving death, and a felony DUI charge, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information System. The public jail roster lists a Hemet Police Department arrest at Palm Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue.
Hemet police have not named the driver in their news release. The name and charges come from the public Riverside County jail booking that lists a Hemet PD arrest at that Palm and Commonwealth location.
Police said the crash was reported about 6:55 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, near Palm and Commonwealth. Two pedestrians riding an electric scooter were struck. Hemet Police Communications received several 911 calls. Witnesses said the vehicle fled and gave a description and a direction of travel.
Officers found both pedestrians unresponsive in the roadway and rendered aid until medical personnel took over. Both were taken to a local hospital. One was pronounced dead. Police are still withholding the identity of the deceased pending family notification.
The driver later returned to the scene and was taken into custody, Hemet police said. The department’s Traffic Bureau assumed the investigation. Preliminary information from police is that the pedestrians were riding an electric scooter on Palm Avenue when they were struck by a vehicle also traveling on Palm Avenue. Impaired driving appears to be a factor, the department said. The investigation is ongoing.
Palm Avenue was closed from Eaton to Commonwealth for several hours.
The sheriff’s roster lists Kohler with a date of birth of Sept. 26, 1994. He was arrested at 5:58 p.m. Sept. 22 by Hemet police at Palm Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue and booked at 2:17 a.m. Sept. 23 under case number 2026-07074, booking 202647135. He is listed at the John Benoit Detention Center. Bail is listed at $1,000,000 on the booking record (raw field 01000000). His next court date is listed as Sept. 28, 2026, at 8 a.m.
Kohler was booked on a felony murder charge under Penal Code 187(a); a felony hit-and-run involving death under Vehicle Code 20001(a); and a felony DUI causing bodily injury under Vehicle Code 23153(g), described on the roster as alcohol and drugs. Those are allegations on the booking record, not a conviction.
Anyone with information can contact Officer Jake Dominiguez at (951) 765-2400. The Hemet Police Department news release is at https://hemetpd.com/30159-2. The public booking record is on the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information System at https://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/jimsacucgi/servlet/servlet/isCobol(IISINFO)?bkno=202647135P.
