Willie Eddie Salazar of Wildomar caused the death of 32-year-old Sahtarria Anderson of Menifee in 2022.

In February, a Murrieta jury convicted Salazar of second-degree murder, felony driving under the influence and DUI resulting in great bodily injury.

During a hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson imposed the sentence required under state law on the defendant.

According to the California Highway Patrol, on the night of April 29, 2022, the defendant was driving his Honda Civic the wrong way — going westbound in the eastbound lanes of Domenigoni Parkway — when he approached a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Anderson’s friend, identified only as a 31-year-old Hemet man.

Anderson was in the right front passenger seat of the four-door sedan, which was near Patterson Avenue when the two vehicles reached the same point.

“The Honda and Chevrolet were involved in a head-on crash,” CHP Officer Jason Montez said at the time, adding that it was uncertain exactly how fast each car was traveling.

Paramedics arrived minutes later and treated the defendant and two victims, all of whom were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar.

Anderson succumbed to her injuries the following day. Her friend, who suffered major injuries, was hospitalized for an unspecified period but ultimately recovered.

Salazar, also seriously hurt, was hospitalized for more than a week before being booked into jail.

Court records indicated that, in February 2022, he admitted a misdemeanor DUI, receiving a month-long jail sentence and a 36-month term of probation, with a requirement that he attend classes on the dangers of drinking and driving.

It was unclear whether he enrolled in the program. Under California law, if a DUI offender is convicted of driving while intoxicated, he or she can be charged with murder for causing a death directly tied to a subsequent DUI collision.

Court documents showed Salazar additionally had a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence.

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The victim’s identity was not released as of Tuesday afternoon.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at approximately 1:46 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Grape and Olive streets.

Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated by Cal Fire crews before being transported to a local hospital. Each victim was in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s department.

“One of the drivers ultimately succumbed to their injuries,” the law enforcement agency said.

An update on the other victim was unavailable.

No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though traffic investigators with the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station reported that alcohol was not a crash factor.

No arrests were announced.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact Deputy Keyser at 951-245-3000 or the Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch at 951-776-1099.

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“It is with a heavy heart that these words are written, we lost our beloved Isaac very suddenly and unexpectedly early Saturday morning,” Joseph Romero stated. “Our hearts are broken and our world has forever changed.”

On Saturday morning, just after 1:15 a.m., the 21-year-old was driving a 2000 Ford Explorer at an unknown speed eastbound on State Route 74 just west of Grand Avenue in the Lake Elsinore area. For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered to the right, leaving the roadway and crashing into a tree.

According to the family, a memorial service was planned for May 17. The fundraiser has raised $6,500 to date.

“Any contribution, big or small, would mean so much to our family as we try to honor his memory and give him the farewell he deserves,” Romero said. “Thank you for all the love, support, kindness, and comfort during this difficult time.”

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The crash happened around 1:15 a.m. Saturday on eastbound state Route 74 just west of Grand Avenue in the Lake Elsinore area, authorities said.

Investigators found that the 21-year-old was driving a 2000 Ford Explorer at an unknown speed when the vehicle veered to the right, leaving the roadway and crashing into a tree.

The crash caused the vehicle to overturn on its roof, and the driver, who was allegedly not wearing a seatbelt, was partially ejected out of the driver-side window. According to the CHP, the vehicle rolled over onto the driver, causing fatal injuries.

The driver was later identified as Isaac Romero of Lake Elsinore.

Investigators believe alcohol impairment was a factor in the crash, authorities said.

— City News Service

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Noah Anthony Zapata, 27, was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence resulting in great bodily injury.

Zapata allegedly killed 40-year-old Derek Holt of Hemet on Acacia Avenue, just west of Kirby Street, shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol and Hemet Police Department.

City of Hemet spokesman Alan Reyes alleged Zapata was in a compact car going westbound on Acacia and plowed straight into the municipal truck that Holt had parked at the intersection.

Paramedics and patrol officers arrived within a few minutes and attempted life-saving measures on the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Reyes said.

He said that patrolmen detained Zapata and held him for CHP officers, who took over the investigation because it involved a municipal vehicle.

Further investigation confirmed the suspect allegedly had been driving under the influence. He was taken into custody without incident.

Background information on Zapata was unavailable.

The post Menifee Suspected DUI Driver Held On $50K Bail In Fatal Hemet Crash appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified Derek Holt, 40, of Hemet, as the victim killed in the deadly incident.

Shortly before 8 a.m., emergency officials arrived at the crash scene on Acacia Avenue just west of Kirby Street in Hemet, where a passenger vehicle had collided with a City of Hemet Public Works utility truck. Holt, a city employee, was struck while outside of his vehicle, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Jonathan Torres. He was found unresponsive at the scene as a result of the crash.

“Officers immediately began providing first aid, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries on the scene,” Torres said.

CHP assumed the investigation and arrested the driver—who remained at the scene—on suspicion of DUIs. The driver was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, awaiting formal charges, according to Torres.

During the incident, officers closed a section of Acacia Avenue, both east and westbound, between S. Sanderson Avenue and Kirby Street, which remained closed much of the day.

No further information was immediately available.

The post City Worker ID’d As Victim Of Hemet Crash, Suspected DUI Driver Arrest appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The crash occurred at 5:09 p.m. Sunday in the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Myers Street, in the Arlington area, according to Riverside police Sgt. Emilio Angulo.

Arriving officers and firefighters found the motorcyclist suffering from severe injuries, Angulo said. “The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.”

His identity was not immediately released.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, Angulo said.

It was not known whether drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash, he said.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Traffic Detective Jeff Derouin at 951-826-8722 or Jderouin@riversideca.gov.

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“It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of LEMX,” the track’s operators wrote on Facebook earlier this week.

They added that the owners of the property had terminated their contract due to a lawsuit over the deadly accident, which occurred in June.

“It was their decision it would be in their best interest to have the track closed. I can’t say I blame them. All in all they have been very good to deal with as has the City of Lake Elsinore,” according to the Facebook post.

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to see you all at the track,” the post concludes.

Brooke Carlton of Vista was pronounced dead on June 2 — the day of the accident — at Wildomar’s Inland Valley Hospital. Her death was recorded 80 minutes after the 10:04 incident at the track located at 20700 Cereal Street, according to the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Bureau.

According to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, which is investigating the fatal crash, Brooke was riding an electric motorbike at the park and was struck by another juvenile who was also riding an off-road motorbike. She was unconscious when first responders arrived at the scene.

The other child involved in the crash was treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to the sheriff’s station.

The Carton started a GoFundMe in June to help the family overcome their grief as they mourned a daughter described as “an absolute sweetheart” and a “total spitfire” with glittering eyes and a toothy smile.

The family has raised $85,310 to date. The donation page can be found here.

“Yesterday the good Lord called our dear Brooke Lily to heaven after a freak accident at a local motocross track,” the family wrote on June 3. “PLEASE lift our family into your thoughts and prayers, and hold your loved ones a little tighter for us as we try to navigate through this sudden hurdle in our lives. We love you always and forever Brooke Lily.”

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A 27-year-old San Diego police officer who was severely injured in the line of duty last week in a fiery Clairemont Mesa-area traffic crash that also killed a fellow officer and a teenage motorist was continuing his recovery at home Wednesday following his release from a hospital.

Zachary Martinez, an 18-month member of the San Diego Police Department, was discharged from Sharp Memorial Hospital in the late afternoon Tuesday, SDPD Chief Scott Wahl told reporters during a news conference at the Serra Mesa medical center.

“He’s very thankful to be alive,” Wahl said during the Tuesday news conference. “He’s very thankful to … have a path to recovery. But whether he’ll get back to full duty, it still remains to be seen. It’s still too early (to know). He’s got a long road of recovery.”

Late on the evening of Aug. 26, Martinez was riding in a patrol SUV that was struck broadside in the 5200 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard by a BMW sedan being driven at high speed by a 16-year-old boy who allegedly had fled an attempted traffic stop moments earlier.

The impact ejected Martinez from the police vehicle, which then caught fire. His partner and the driver of the cruiser, Officer Austin Machitar, 30, died at the scene of the collision. Machitar, the son of a retired lawman who served with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, is survived by his parents, according to the Peace Officers Research Association of California.

The first emergency medical technician to get to Martinez where the victim came to rest in the roadway thought the young patrolman was dead, the chief told news crews during the afternoon briefing.

“And the first thing he did was check for a pulse,” Wahl said.

Paramedics took Martinez and the teenager who had been driving the BMW, Edgar Giovanny Oviedo of San Diego, to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where the officer was admitted in critical condition and the boy was pronounced dead.

It remains unclear why the teen might have fled from officers trying to pull him over for speeding, Wahl said.

Last week, the San Diego Police Officers Association launched a donation drive to benefit the families of the involved officers, with a goal of $250,000 to aid with funeral and medical costs. Contributions may be made online at porac.org/fundraiser/sandiegopd_officers/.

As of late Wednesday morning, the campaign had raised $216,643, according to PORAC.

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HEMET, CA — A 35-year-old motorcyclist was killed when he collided head-on with a pickup south of Hemet, authorities said Wednesday.

Casey Fryer of Hemet was fatally injured at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on Fairview Avenue, just north of Bautista Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officer Jonathan Torres said Fryer was riding a 2024 Kawasaki northbound on Fairview at an unconfirmed speed when he inexplicably drifted over the double yellow lines, into oncoming traffic.

“The driver of a Dodge Ram pickup was going southbound and observed the Kawasaki,” Torres told City News Service. “He attempted to take evasive action by turning to the right, but was unable to avoid the crash.”

Fryer’s bike slammed into the pickup, hurling him onto the roadway, resulting in catastrophic injuries.

Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location before 8 p.m. and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

The pickup driver, identified only as a 37-year-old Hemet man, was not hurt. He was questioned by CHP officers and allowed to leave.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information was asked to contact the CHP San Gorgonio office at 951-846-5300.

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