Two complaints sent to the CHP’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit on March 28 and April 18 accuse the district’s transportation department of repeated violations of California rules governing how long school bus drivers may remain on duty. The complaints allege that fatigued drivers were assigned to transport children despite exceeding hourly limits.

The April 18 complaint, an 18-page document, argues that the number of alleged violations points to a broader operational problem rather than isolated mistakes. Both complaints cite information that whistleblowers say came from the district’s digital timekeeping system.

The March 28 complaint alleges that more than 40 drivers exceeded state safety limits hundreds of times between July 2025 and March 2026. According to the complaint, employees identified 247 primary violations, including 227 instances in which drivers worked 80 to 85 hours during an eight-day period, exceeding the state’s 80-hour cap. The complaint also cited 19 cases in which drivers worked more than 90 hours over eight days and 20 instances in which drivers surpassed the 16-hour daily on-duty limit.

The April 18 complaint alleges that from January through April, at least 16 drivers worked more than 16 hours in a single day. It also documented more than 100 cases between Jan. 5 and April 17 in which drivers exceeded 80 hours during a rolling eight-day period, including nine employees who worked more than 90 hours, according to the complaint.

The complaint warns that driver fatigue is a major factor in commercial vehicle crashes and says state limits for pupil transportation exist to prevent serious incidents. It further alleges that, if the district’s timekeeping data is accurate, Hemet Unified may have operated in a way that violated the law and endangered students.

CHP Sgt. Omar Morales of the agency’s Border Division said Thursday that the investigation began in mid-April and is being conducted jointly by the motor carrier safety units in the Border and Inland divisions. Morales declined to discuss details of the inquiry but said it is expected to be completed within the next couple of months.

One district transportation employee, who requested anonymity, said more than six employees contacted the CHP and the media after they believed their concerns were not addressed by the district’s transportation manager and a district administrator.

The employee said the alleged violations are considered serious in the commercial driving industry, where drivers are routinely trained not to exceed legal limits. The employee pointed to California Vehicle Code Section 21702 and Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations Section 1212.

Together, those rules generally limit school bus drivers to 10 hours of driving in one day, prohibit them from remaining on duty more than 16 hours after reporting to work and bar them from driving after reaching 80 on-duty hours in any consecutive eight-day period.

District spokesperson Brenda Aguirre-Hassan said the assertion that employees had previously raised the issue with district officials has not been substantiated. She said Hemet Unified has not received formal complaints directly related to the allegations.

Aguirre-Hassan said the district is reviewing personnel matters connected to the CHP investigation. She also said Hemet Unified follows extensive safety protocols designed to comply with laws and regulations governing student transportation.

The district provides ongoing training focused on regulatory compliance and safe operations, Aguirre-Hassan said. She said Hemet Unified uses both digital timekeeping and manual logs, as required by law, to verify drivers’ hours of service. Those records are reviewed internally by the transportation department and are available to the CHP during regular and unannounced terminal inspections, she said.

Aguirre-Hassan said the district is considering upgrades to its auditing software that would provide real-time alerts when drivers approach legal limits.

Before the current CHP review, Hemet Unified had a long record of receiving “satisfactory” ratings, the highest available, during CHP inspections, Aguirre-Hassan said. She said the district’s priority remains student safety and that Hemet Unified is committed to transparency, accountability and continued compliance with safety rules.

Hemet Unified’s transportation department has become a regional busing provider for the San Jacinto Valley and nearby Inland Empire districts. Under former transportation manager Michael Fogerty, the district expanded in 2014 into a transportation hub serving students from other districts and agencies. With one of Southern California’s larger school bus fleets, the district generated outside revenue through those agreements.

District officials have said those contracts help cover operating costs, pay for fleet improvements and support a self-sustaining transportation program.

Hemet Unified did not provide a complete list of school districts and agencies for which it provides busing services. The April 18 complaint, however, says the district serves Perris Union High School District, Perris Elementary, Nuview Union Elementary, Romoland, San Jacinto Unified and Val Verde Unified, among others.

The complaint alleges that the outside transportation workload brings in millions of dollars and that some employees believe the district is prioritizing contract volume and revenue over safety. Aguirre-Hassan said Hemet Unified currently employs 239 professional school drivers.

The April 18 complaint also cites turnover in the transportation department, alleging that two executive directors have resigned in the past three years, along with three transportation managers and one coordinator. The complaint claims some newer managers lack sufficient knowledge of pupil transportation law and have given improper operational guidance.

The employee who spoke anonymously said the transportation department has struggled since Fogerty retired about five years ago, with staff frustrations focused on management, communication and understanding of legal requirements.

The complaint specifically notes the district’s appointment of Jeff Keeney, former principal of Valle Vista Elementary School, as executive director of transportation. It alleges district officials emphasized his leadership and morale-building abilities while overlooking the technical and regulatory experience required to oversee transportation operations. The complaint also says several managers remain new to their positions and appear unfamiliar with applicable transportation laws and regulations.

The post CHP Investigates Claims Hemet Unified Bus Drivers Worked Excessive Hours appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

    The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Bureau confirmed Monday that the victims were 43-year-old Arthur Fernandez Jr. and his 10-year-old son, Arthur Fernandez, both residents of San Jacinto.

    The fatal crash occurred shortly after noon Friday at the intersection of Domenigoni Parkway and State Street.

    According to Cal Fire Capt. John Clingingsmith, a county fire crew was responding to a vegetation fire along Highway 74 near the western boundary of the San Bernardino National Forest when the collision happened.

    Investigators said the fire engine was traveling north on State Street with its emergency lights and siren activated. At the same time, Fernandez was driving a Mini Cooper westbound on Gibbel Road, which transitions into Domenigoni Parkway at the intersection. Two children were riding in the vehicle with him.

    Fernandez was pronounced dead at the scene. Both children were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities later confirmed that the 10-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries. Information regarding the condition of the second juvenile passenger has not been released.

    A fundraising campaign established for the family indicated that Fernandez was also the father of a 5-year-old son. It has not been confirmed whether that child was the other passenger involved in the crash.

    “Arthur was an extraordinary father,” organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Everything he did, every single day, was for his children. He poured his heart and soul into being the best dad possible, leaving behind a beautiful five-year-old son who will now grow up without his father and big brother.”

    The fundraiser also described the family’s grief following the sudden loss and noted that loved ones are facing unexpected funeral and burial expenses.

    By Monday afternoon, donations had climbed to nearly $9,000.

    Three firefighters who were aboard the county engine also suffered injuries in the crash. Officials said their injuries were not considered life-threatening. They were transported to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for evaluation and treatment and were later released.

    Emergency personnel from the Hemet Fire Department, Hemet Police Department, California Highway Patrol and additional Riverside County fire units responded to the scene. The busy intersection remained closed for several hours as investigators worked to document evidence and clear the roadway.

    Authorities said there is currently no indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the collision.

    The California Highway Patrol’s San Gorgonio Pass Area office is leading the investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information related to the incident is encouraged to contact CHP investigators at 951-846-5300.

    Source: City News Service

The post Father, 10-Year-Old Son Identified in Fatal Hemet Crash Involving Fire Engine appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

In a news release shared by the California Highway Patrol, officers said that they were contacted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for reports of a missing man, Carlos McCowan of Winchester, at around 4:30 p.m. near Indian Creek Road in the Valle Vista area. 

“During the day, McCowan was riding on a quad with his 28-year-old son, who was riding a dirt bike,” CHP’s release said. “Towards the end of the day, his son returned to his truck, but the father did not return.”

A sheriff’s department helicopter was called to the area to assist with the search, and McCown was found a short time later “hunched over” the 2014 Honda TRX450R he was riding. Both RSO and CHP personnel responded to the area via off-road vehicles to investigate a possible crash, but they said that the quad was located with all of its wheels intact. 

They said that McCowan was wearing a helmet and off-road safety clothing when he was found, and that he “displayed no obvious crash injuries.”

Police said that McCowan’s cause of death is under investigation by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. No further information was provided as the probe continues.

The post Man found dead after going missing during Riverside County off-roading trip near Idyllwild appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Angel Baby Cruz of Riverside was arrested last year following a California Highway Patrol investigation into the deadly wreck.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst found there was sufficient evidence to bound Cruz over for trial on the murder count, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing a felony offense while on bail.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 27 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Cruz remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to the CHP, shortly before 5 a.m. April 26, 2025, the defendant was at the wheel of a Mercedes 300 going westbound on the 60 when the sedan went out of control and slammed into the center divider wall between La Rue Street and Rubidoux Boulevard.

“The vehicle then went across all lanes and struck a tree,” Officer Javier Navarro said. “The vehicle became fully engulfed by fire.”

Good Samaritans stopped and went to help Cruz and his front-seat passenger, a young man identified in court documents only as “D.G.”

Navarro said they managed to pull Cruz to safety but couldn’t get to the victim, who was unconscious, before the Mercedes was consumed by the blaze.

“After the Riverside County Fire Department put out the flames, the body was located in the front seat,” the CHP spokesman said.

No one else had been in the car. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Cruz underwent treatment at a Riverside hospital for unspecified minor injuries, at which point he was also determined to be intoxicated, Navarro alleged.

The defendant was formally taken into custody without incident. After a brief hospitalization, he was cleared for booking into the downtown Riverside jail.

Cruz has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. There were no details available concerning the circumstances of his prior arrest, or how long he had been on bond leading up to the fatal crash.

The post Trial Ordered For 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Murder In Jurupa Valley DUI Death appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The effort builds on “successful” CHP efforts already underway in Oakland, Bakersfield and San Bernardino, according to the governor’s office. CHP officers assigned to these Crime Suppression Teams are expected to saturate high-crime areas, target repeat offenders and seize illicit weapons and narcotics.

“When the state and local communities work together strategically, public safety improves,” Newsom said in a statement. “While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them — and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down.”

CHP teams are expected to operate in the following:

• Identify and suppress criminal activity in high-crime areas through data and intelligence-led policing;
• Conduct proactive enforcement operations designed to deter and disrupt organized crime;
• Provided increased CHP visibility and presence in communities most impacted by crime;
• Support local law enforcement by sharing intelligence, coordinating enforcement, and assisting with investigations; and
• Maintain strict accountability through structured leadership, clear reporting and operational oversight.

“These crime suppression teams will provide critical support to our local partners by focusing on crime where it happens most,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. “By combining resources, intelligence, and personnel, we can better disrupt criminal activity and strengthen the safety and security of communities across California.”

These Crime Suppression Teams in Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland resulted in more than 9,000 arrests, recovered 5,800 stolen vehicles and confiscated more than 400 firearms, according to the governor’s office.

In Bakersfield, since April 2024, the partnership resulted in 859 felony arrests, 721 misdemeanor arrests, 2,654 DUI arrests, 1,386 stolen vehicles recovered and 114 firearms seized. The city’s 2024 crime rates were the lowest since 2021, with a 57% decline in homicides and 60% fewer shootings.

In Oakland, by late 2024, crime stood at an overall 34% decrease year-over-year. CHP teams were deployed to the city in February of that year. Since October 2024, the partnership with San Bernardino resulted in 357 felony arrests, 1,627 misdemeanor arrests, 170 DUI arrests, 145 stolen vehicles recovered, and 82 illegal firearms recovered.

Homicide rates, among other crime categories, rose and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, starting in 2019. However, in the following years, as a result of public safety investments, those figures have steadily decreased, according to data from the California Department of Justice.

Preliminary data for the first six months of 2025 have indicated that overall violent crime is down 12.5% compared to 2024.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association has reported a 20% drop in homicides and 19% decrease in robberies in the state so far in 2025.

The largest overall declines in violent crime were reported by the police departments in Oakland (30%) and San Francisco (22%).

The post Newsom deploys CHP crime suppression teams to San Diego, LA, Inland Empire appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

It is important that all travelers on California roadways be well-equipped with knowledge and tools to help them operate their vehicles as safely as possible. As such, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will continue to provide free classes to assist and educate drivers age 65 and older, as well as promote safe travel for all, with the Keeping Everyone Safe (KEYS) grant funded by the Office of Traffic Safety. As part of the grant, the Age Well, Drive Smart classes will continue to emphasize that a driver’s performance determines a person’s fitness to drive, not their age.

Age Well, Drive Smart classes are free to the public, provide education specifically designed to help the senior population improve their driving skills, refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road, and learn how age-related physical changes may affect one’s driving ability. The Age Well, Drive Smart classes have been educating California’s senior drivers since 2008.  

“Roadway safety and mobility of California’s seniors continues to be a high priority of the CHP,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The Age Well, Drive Smart program provides education, as well as alternative transportation options, to seniors and their families to positively impact driving behavior and adjust to age-related changes.”

The CHP invites California’s senior drivers age 65 and older to attend a free Age Well, Drive Smart class to learn the tools to driving safer and driving longer. The class is approximately two hours and is offered at local CHP offices as well as many senior centers within the community. The class is a way for seniors to educate themselves, evaluate their driving abilities, and improve their driving skills. 

More information about this free class is available from any local CHP office. To locate an office near you, visit www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post CHP SENIOR DRIVER CLASS AIMS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Starting today through Nov. 29, the “Slow the Fast Down” campaign will feature a series of safety messages on digital platforms, including social media, streaming and gaming services, and outdoor billboards. In addition, video public service announcements will run on broadcast and social media, as well as audio versions on radio.

The OTS hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding, which has been a top traffic safety issue.

“It’s clear that there have been immediate changes in driver behavior with more drivers speeding, some at excessive and extremely dangerous speeds,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “This trend is alarming. We should be focused on protecting lives and the simple action of following speed limits helps keep ourselves and others safe.

Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31 of this year, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers issued 4,851 citations for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, a 93% increase when compared to the same period last year.

In federal fiscal year 2017-18, speed was a factor in approximately 31% of all fatal and injury crashes in California.

According to a 2020 survey conducted by the OTS and California State University, Fresno, nearly half of respondents believed it is acceptable to speed as long as it is not more than 10 miles per hour, but 78% believed it to be unacceptable to drive 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.

“Speeding is a choice,” Director Rooney said. “We hope to shift social norms for speeding and encourage people to slow down on the road.”

To learn more about the campaign and ways to stay safe on the go, visit gosafelyca.org.

The OTS administers traffic safety grants that deliver innovative programs with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and injuries on California roads. The OTS is a department under the California State Transportation Agency.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Anti-Speeding Campaign appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

CHP officers throughout the state will host in-person presentations and use Web-based or virtual platforms to conduct distracted driving traffic safety presentations. In addition, the CHP will conduct several distracted driving enforcement operations through September 30, 2021.

“Distracted driving continues to be a serious issue on our roadway, and it is entirely avoidable,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “With the support of this grant, we can implement lifesaving efforts throughout California that will raise awareness and hopefully change dangerous behavior behind the wheel.”

Multitasking behind the wheel places extra demands on the driver, which can have tragic consequences.

On average, there are more than 20,000 drivers in California involved in a crash every year where inattention is a factor. “These statistics are likely much higher and are often under-reported to law enforcement since motorists do not always admit to driving distracted,” Commissioner Stanley added.

While there are many forms of inattention, cell phones continue to be the main source of diversion. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is not only a violation of the vehicle code, it is also an unsafe activity behind the wheel. Drivers should only use a phone when necessary and in a hands-free mode.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

-chp.ca.gov

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post CHP FOCUSED ON ELIMINATING DISTRACTED DRIVING appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

SAN JACINTO — Authorities are investigating the cause of a two-vehicle, head-on collision between a big-rig and passenger vehicle that left one person dead at the scene on Saturday, August 10 that happened on Ramona Expressway near Bridge St.

The fatal crash, which left both vehicles heavily damaged and the sedan upside down on its roof, happened on Ramona Expressway east of Bridge St.

CHP, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and Riverside County Sheriff’s Departments, along with other emergency personnel, were dispatched to Saturday morning’s deadly collision around 4:10 a.m., according to CHP and Cal Fire officials.

When officials arrived, they found a heavily damaged M&H Transport Inc. tractor-trailer big-rig disabled in the middle of the roadway. M&H Transport’s headquarters is located in Moreno Valley, just five miles from where the accident happened.

A heavily damaged and barely recognizable white sedan was about 100 yards away, upside down and on its roof in a field adjacent the road.

A person’s lifeless body could be seen inside the mangled wreckage of their car and firefighters used the “Jaws of Life” to perform an extensive extrication to remove the victim’s body from the sedan. The driver was later pronounced deceased at the scene. 

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials today identified 26-year-old, Danny Joya, of San Jacinto, as the man killed in Saturday’s crash. A coroner’s release indicated Joya succumbed to his injuries at the scene and was pronounced deceased at 4:24 a.m.

The driver of the big-rig was evaluated by paramedics at the scene but was uninjured and declined further treatment. 

As their investigation was getting underway, officials reported that debris was spread across 200 yards of the roadway, and that despite the extensive wreckage, vehicles were continuing to drive “through the area at high speeds,” according to a CHP incident log.

A collision claimed a life and just two days after another life was lost

Another person died on the morning of Monday, August 12, in a head-on collision along the same, two-mile stretch of Ramona Expressway in San Jacinto that claimed another man’s life just two days earlier. The driver who reportedly caused the fatal crash was hospitalized.

The deadly collision, which happened west of Warren Rd., was the second fatal crash on Ramona Expressway in the last two days. The earlier head-on crash between a passenger vehicle and big-rig, which happened early Saturday morning, August 10, near Bridge St., killed 26-year-old, Danny Joya, of San Jacinto.

Officials have identified a woman who died as a result of a two-vehicle, head-on crash involving two passenger vehicles, early Monday morning, August 12. The fatal accident happened on Ramona Expressway, about a quarter-mile west of Warren Rd.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials identified Erika Amaya, 43, of Moreno Valley, as the woman killed in Monday’s crash. A coroner’s release indicated Amaya succumbed to her injuries at the scene and was pronounced deceased at 4:45 a.m.

Deputies from the San Jacinto Sheriff Station, along with CHP, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, and AMR, were dispatched to the deadly crash at about 4:35 a.m., Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan De Loss has since reported.

When officials arrived, they found two heavily damaged vehicles that had collided head-on. DeLoss described the vehicles as a white, Chevrolet sedan and green, Hyundai sedan.

Vehicle parts and debris were spread across a large section of the roadway, which was left blocked and impassable by the arrival of numerous official vehicles that responded to the scene of the crash.

The driver and sole occupant of the Chevrolet were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to De Loss and Cal Fire officials. 

The driver and sole occupant of the Hyundai who caused the collision was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries that Cal Fire described as moderate.   

Based on the circumstances, members of San Jacinto Station’s Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene of the crash and assumed the investigation. 

During their preliminary investigation, deputies determined the deceased victim from the Chevrolet sedan was traveling eastbound on Ramona Expressway just before the collision. At the same time, the Hyundai was being driven westbound.

For reasons yet to be determined, the surviving driver of the Hyundai crossed the double yellow lines “consequently colliding head-on with the Chevrolet,” killing the other driver, De Loss reported. 

During the investigation, Ramona Expressway was closed between Bridge St. and Warren Rd. The roadway remained closed for about six hours and was re-opened around 10:30 a.m.

The sheriff’s investigations into both deadly crashes are ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Deputy Cox at the San Jacinto Station at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I192240014 and can remain anonymous.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Ramona Expressway

The post Ramona Expressway claimed two lives after a 2-car wreck appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The overturned truck spewed gallons of fuel onto the road, while the driver suffered only minor injuries. While the posted speed limit on the right-hand curve was 20 mph, driver Lopez was traveling at 30 mph, according to the CHP.

Riverside County Hazmat was dispatched. A clean-up crew worked around the clock from Friday night to Saturday morning to clear and clean the road. CHP officers quickly cleared backed-up traffic utilizing alternating oneway traffic control.

The post Truck overturns blocking 243 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.