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.

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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.

The post Wildomar Man Who Caused Fatal Head-On Wreck While Drunk Sentenced appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

WINCHESTER, CA—A French Valley resident is leading the charge toward improving walkability near the French Valley Public Library. The pending Skyview Bridge, which is planned to traverse the French Valley Channel, may resolve the issue.

This week, Nelson Cooper launched a Change.org petition to support the construction of a sidewalk near the French Valley Public Library off Winchester Road. According to Cooper, the library’s access is far from safe. Thus far, nearly 175 people have signed the petition that calls for safe access to a county-run library.

“Every day, children and individuals without vehicles in our community are forced to walk along Winchester Road, where cars travel at speeds of 55 miles per hour or more,” Cooper wrote on the petition. “This dangerous situation arises due to the lack of a safe sidewalk leading to the French Valley Public Library. “

Though the California Highway Patrol’s Temecula Division has reported no incidents in that section of roadway in the past several months, the four-lane road is often heavy with traffic.

Cooper says that the risk this poses for pedestrians “is alarming and unacceptable,” and in his petition, he cited statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where pedestrian fatalities accounted for 17 percent of all traffic deaths in California. “This statistic underscores the urgent need for safer pedestrian infrastructure in our neighborhoods,” he said.

The Riverside County Transportation Department plans to begin construction of a pedestrian bridge in the fall of 2024.

According to Riverside County Transportation Department officer Umer Ahmed, pedestrians will be able to traverse the gap along Skyview Road at French Valley Creek.

The footbridge will extend Skyview Road, allowing better pedestrian traffic access from the neighborhood south of the county library, including the Susan LaVorgna Elementary School.

One parent responded to the plea for signatures, saying he used to drive his daughter to the library for tutoring “because of the bad road. “She would have walked no problem if there was a directly accessible route.

Another resident claimed not to support the Skyview pedestrian walkway. “The real wrinkle in this is that the creek is environmentally protected so the street bridge that should be there never will be. The walkway is silly. I don’t think there are folks on the other side of Skyview wondering how they can get to the library.”

Meanwhile, residents who filed the petition feel that the construction of a sidewalk along Winchester Road would provide a safer route not only for library-goers but also for those who use this road daily.

“We urge local authorities in Winchester to prioritize pedestrian safety by constructing a safe sidewalk along Winchester Road leading up to the French Valley Public Library,” he said. “By doing so, we can protect our children and fellow citizens from unnecessary risks while promoting accessibility and encouraging walking as an eco-friendly mode of transportation.”

Cooper asks that you sign the petition “if you believe everyone deserves safe access to public amenities like our library.”

The post Residents Seek To Improve French Valley Library Access, Petition Filed appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Trustee Corona, who teaches advanced placement World History at Liberty High School in Winchester, is familiar with MSJC. He took several courses at the college district. He earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. He replaces Ann Motte, the district’s longest-serving board member, after she chose not to seek re-election. Trustee Corona will represent Area 4. 

Trustee Vicki Carpenter joined Mr. Corona in taking the oath after being reelected to in November. Trustee Carpenter has been representing Area 3 on the MSJC board since 2018. 

During its annual organizational meeting Thursday, the five-member Board of Trustees selected Trustee Joshua Rivera, representing Area 2, as the new Board President, and Trustee Brian Sylva, serving Area 1, as the new Clerk.

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