Witnesses said the crash happened when a Toyota Sienna minivan cut off a truck in southbound lanes of Interstate 215 in Riverside around 7 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The truck spun out and the Toyota struck a guardrail, said Officer Juan Quintero, a highway patrol spokesman.

All seven victims were in the same vehicle, Riverside Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst told the Press-Enterprise. Some had to be cut out of the vehicle.

Quintero said that among the injured, two children had what were described as minor to moderate injuries. The conditions of the others weren’t immediately known.

Lorena Negrete, 34, of Ontario, died at the scene, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office said.

The freeway was closed in the area until just after 11 a.m., the newspaper reported.

AP Briefs

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The nearly 2-year-old boy was killed Saturday around 2 p.m. while riding in a Lexus sedan on Interstate 880 driven by his mom when the car was struck by gunfire, the California Highway Patrol said. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he died.

The evidence suggests the victims were not targeted but got caught in the crossfire between two cars with people exchanging gunfire, officials said. The CHP said it had no other information Monday and urged anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to contact them.

The boy, Jasper Wu, was riding from San Francisco to his home in Fremont with three adults and two other children when he was shot.

Jasper was asleep when the bullet flew through the windshield and struck him, according to Carl Chan, the president of Oakland’s Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, who has been helping the family with funeral arrangements and setting up online fundraising efforts.

“How could you ever expect a bullet to fly in and hit your child while asleep? No one would expect that,” Chan told the Mercury News.

Jasper’s father was traveling from China on Monday to bury his son, Chan said.

“Jasper will never wake up again. This is horrible,” Chan said. “Today is my birthday and I’m saying that because I’m so lucky to be celebrating my birthday and Jasper could not have a chance to celebrate his own second birthday in December.”

The freeway was shut for several hours, causing traffic to back up for miles.

Last month, a 3-year-old boy riding with his father on Interstate 580 in Oakland was wounded in the foot when someone opened fire on the vehicle, hitting the boy who was in the back seat and striking the vehicle several times, the CHP said.

Highway shootings are difficult to investigate because witnesses are traveling at high rates of speed and collecting evidence can be challenging, said Mary Knox, senior deputy district attorney for neighboring Contra Costa County.

Knox said Contra Costa County saw a spike in recent years in gun violence tied to gangs on segments of Highway 4 and Interstate 80. That led officials to install a surveillance system of cameras and license plate readers that she said significantly reduced gun violence on freeways there.

“Gang members were actually following each other up onto the freeways to do the shootings because they knew how challenging those investigations are,” Knox said. “Witnesses are traveling at like 65 miles an hour so they’re miles down the freeway by the time we even know we have a crime and finding the exact shooting location to recover casings and things was very challenging.”

Knox said preventing innocent bystanders from getting caught in the crossfire was exactly why officials wanted to set up the freeway security system.

“It was just so crucial to get our program up and running before a tragedy like this happened,” Knox said.

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Many in the San Jacinto Valley travel to Idyllwild to enjoy the nice weather, fun activities, and beautiful nature. For months, we have had to take major detours, either traveling through Palm Desert or Temecula to get to Idyllwild. With Independence Day now officially upon us, our weekend plans of celebration may need to be changed.  Recently opened only for Saturdays and Sundays a few weeks back, we have received some exciting news from Caltrans. Highway 74 will be open and available to use this weekend, exclusively for Independence weekend. 

The highway will be open for 20 hours a day, up until Sunday, July 7th, according to Caltrans spokeswoman Terri Kasinga. The road’s hours are from 4:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., as they have been ever since the original reopening. However, Caltrans has extended the weekend to include Thursday, July 4th, and Friday, July 5th, as well.  

All drivers who travel up the mountain will be escorted via a pilot-vehicle. Stopping and passing is prohibited. 
If you have never been to Idyllwild, it is a perfect place to spend your 4th of July, or any other future holiday or gathering. 

According to Idyllwild.com, “Idyllwild is nestled in the San Jacinto mountains. Set among tall pines, sweet smelling cedars and Legendary rocks. The town has kept its “small town” atmosphere. Locally owned shops and restaurants are all you will find here. Come and experience the peace and quiet of Idyllwild. If you are ready to get away from the traffic jams, or the noisy city life, this is the town for you. Idyllwild has perfect day hikes for the quick weekend hike, as well as the high country for the longer “overnight” hiking journeys.”

There are many different points of interest in Idyllwild. 

The Mount San Jacinto State Park offers many hiking trails with views of the desert terrain. The 22.88-square mile park is in the San Jacinto Mountains, with a great portion of it being a part of the San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Idyllwild Park features 202 acres of land that contain lakes for fishing, trails, shaded campsites, and a Nature Center. The Center consists of a museum that educates on local ecology and Cahuilla Native culture. 

Lastly, Suicide Rock is a 7,510ft-high granite outcrop that is popular among climbers for its 300 or so climbing routes. 
This 13.73-square mile area of land is sure to have plenty of memorable options for any occasion this summer. Be sure to take advantage of Highway 74 being opened this weekend, towards Idyllwild!  

The author of this story can be contacted at villalobos3fidel@gmail.com

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You will see survey paint on the asphalt in the middle of the road, don’t get those confused with the painted lines, you will still follow the paint unless there are cones guiding you in a different direction. Don’t get scared or confused if you drive into a coned area, just slow your speed down and follow the cones laid out in front of you. Remember that these workers are just doing their job, it isn’t their fault that traffic is slowing down. Be aware of them, they all have families that they have to go to when their shift is over.

Speed limits are reduced by half in construction zones and traffic fines are doubled, that means your average speed going down Florida will vary between 20 and 30 miles per hour. If you are in a hurry, it may be better to take Acacia Ave. or Latham for the time being, depending on where you need to go.

This project is meant to increase the safety of the highway, often times people run across the street and get stuck standing in the middle of the road waiting for an opening to get to the otherside. Some drivers act like that they can “u-turn” anywhere along the road or ignore the “Right Turn only” signs and drive all the way across the street. Medians and raised curbs will be added throughout the road to help make the highway a safer place for all Hemet and San Jacinto residents.

It’s hard to say how long the project will take depending on inspection, weather, and materials, but Florida Ave. will appear to be a completely different road when it is finally finished. Expect many detours and traffic control activity in the surrounding area especially on pour days when there are concrete trucks in the area. In order to ensure the safety of the construction workers, police presence will be escalated in that general area.

If you have any questions or what to expect during construction of the HWY-74 project I’m Available via email at VCsportskyle@gmail.com, I will be writing updates on the project as it continues so keep an eye out for future articles.

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