The dad of a Riverside County teen fighting for his life at the hospital is wondering why anyone would shove his son toward a moving Tesla after a fight over a skateboard.

“He hasn’t regained consciousness,” says the father of 15-year-old Angel Botello Hernandez who is seriously hurt.

The teen was heading home on Stetson Avenue at Seven Hills Drive in Hemet, when he was approached by a group of teens. Witnesses say there was a scuffle, seemingly over his skateboard.

At one point, someone pushed Botello onto the street, where the driver of a white Tesla couldn’t stop on time and hit him.

The teen suffered major injuries to his head, says the dad.

The teen’s dad can’t imagine why anyone would hurt the West Valley High student, who by all accounts has never been in trouble.

Police are looking for anyone who may have been traveling through the intersection when the incident happened on Monday, February 28, at around 4:25 p.m. Those with a car video system they may have gotten images of the people involved on the intersection, before or after the incident, officials hope.

The driver of the Tesla stopped immediately and faces no charges. But anyone who may know anything about the incident is asked to call Sergeant Gabe Gomez at 951-765-2396.

Christina Gonzalez | Contributed

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According to data compiled by the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), the popular Southern California gateway welcomed more than 462,000 domestic passengers and 15,600 international travelers in July, increases of 167% and 333%, respectively, compared to July 2020.

The number of domestic travelers last month was just 1.2% lower than July 2019 while international passenger volume was 42% lower.

From January through July, ONT welcomed more than 2.1 million passengers, almost 70% of the total over the same period in 2019 and 40% more than the first seven months of 2020.

“Ontario International’s recovery from the impact of the pandemic continues at a robust pace,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the OIAA Board of Commissioners. “Airlines are showing great confidence in our airport and our strong  customer base as the demand for air travel, particularly domestic service, approaches pre-pandemic volume.”

Wapner also noted that ONT’s customer base is growing, according to a recent analysis of household migration to and from the top metropolitan regions in the U.S. Among the report’s findings: the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. area – also known as the Inland Empire – experienced the greatest population growth in 2020 as families sought more affordable homes in less densely populated areas following the onset of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, air freight shipments in July, which totaled 66,400 tons, were 6% higher than the same month in 2019, but 17.2% lower than July last year. For the first seven months of the year, freight volume was almost 480,000 tons, nearly 5% less than the same period a year ago, but almost 16% more than 2019.

About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic, offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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Americans may be rounding a corner — literally — in their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of daily passenger vehicle trips has hit a major milestone, reaching pre-pandemic levels for the first time in a year, according to data provided to The Associated Press by the transportation analytics firm Inrix, with Americans driving more often and farther than at any time since pandemic lockdowns were invoked.

The rise in vehicle travel comes amid other encouraging health and economic indicators. Consumer spending and manufacturing have been picking up. Employers have been adding workers. Governors have been easing restrictions on indoor dining and social gatherings. More auto fuel is being purchased. The winter peak in COVID-19 cases has receded. And more than one-fourth of Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Some of the largest travel increases have occurred in rural, suburban and smaller metropolitan areas, Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.

In Pensacola, Florida, passenger vehicle miles traveled last April dipped to around 50% of the average levels of January and February 2020, before pandemic restrictions were imposed. The situation is significantly different this spring. On the weekend of March 20-21, passenger vehicle miles topped 150% of the pre-pandemic level, according to Inrix data.

“If you drove through downtown Pensacola a year ago, it was a ghost town — everything was closed,” said Kaycee Lagarde, the city’s public information officer. “Now if you go downtown, it basically looks normal as far as the number of people being out.”

Lagarde said the traffic surge appears to have been aided by tourists, who have returned to beaches that were temporarily closed last year.

In general, “higher travel is reflective of a good economy,” said Tim Lomax, a research fellow at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “They are traveling for a purpose, whether that’s a job, retail or school.”

Last spring, many vehicles got parked for an extended stay as governors and mayors issued stay-at-home orders, schools went virtual and work sites shifted from offices to homes as a precaution intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Passenger vehicle miles traveled plunged to almost half their pre-pandemic levels nationally, and declined even more in some of the largest cities with the greatest restrictions.

Less driving meant less money for state transportation departments, which rely heavily on motor fuel taxes. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials had estimated agencies could face a $28 billion revenue loss over a five-year period.

But “we’re starting to see a rebound here from a travel standpoint, and that’s been very helpful,” said association executive director Jim Tymon.

Passenger vehicle miles traveled have been climbing upward this month, reaching 112% of their pre-pandemic levels during the week ending March 19, according to Inrix, which compiles passenger vehicle traffic data from anonymous GPS signals, such as from cellphone apps.

Midsize cities, particularly in the South, have seen a resurgence. Passenger vehicle miles traveled topped 160% of their pre-pandemic levels for two straight weekends in Mobile, Alabama, and exceeded 125% of pre-pandemic levels on recent weekends in Fort Myers, Florida; Greenville, South Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Traffic also is rebounding in some of the nation’s largest cities, though more so on weekends than weekdays and not yet back to pre-pandemic levels.

Passenger vehicle miles traveled fell last April to around 40% of pre-pandemic levels in Washington, D.C. That rebounded to around 90% or greater the first three weekends of March, though it was still lower during weekdays.

Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia show similar patterns, where the weekend traffic has rebounded higher than the weekday traffic. Passenger vehicle miles hit 99% of their pre-pandemic levels in Los Angeles on March 21 after falling to well below half their norm in late March 2020.

In New York City, they exceeded 90% of their previous levels on March 20-21; they were around one-third the normal a year ago.

In San Francisco, Inrix data shows that passenger vehicle miles traveled reached 88% of their pre-pandemic levels over the weekend of March 20-21, their highest mark since March 11, 2020.

While higher traffic volumes show “there is more economic activity happening,” they also reflect a shift away from mass transit, said Jeff Bellisario, executive director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. In February, ridership on the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system remained at just 12.5% of pre-pandemic levels, he said.

Bellisario can personally attest to the change in traveling behavior. Prior to the pandemic, he didn’t own a car — instead riding public transit to get to work and biking or walking to go other places. But he hasn’t taken the rails in a year. He now works from home, and bought a car to get around town.

“My vehicle miles traveled is definitely higher than it was pre-COVID-19,” he said.

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Deputies conducted 70 vehicle enforcement stops and cited 60 drivers for various traffic violations, with a focus on distracted driving and cell phone violations. One subject was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant. 

So far in 2020, deputies have investigated 268 traffic collisions in the city of Lake Elsinore, 92 injury collisions and 3 collisions resulting in a fatality. The traffic saturation patrol targeted unsafe and distracted drivers to help prevent and reduce the number of traffic collisions within the city.

Traffic Safety Saturation patrol will continue throughout the year to help reduce the number of traffic collisions and ensure the safety of the motoring public.

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

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

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