Senior Killed, Others Hurt in 3-Vehicle Collision near Hemet

HEMET (CNS) – A 90-year-old woman was killed in a three-vehicle crash at an intersection just east of Hemet that also left four people injured, one critically, authorities said Thursday. The crash happened shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Ramona Expressway and Lincoln Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. Irma Higgins of Riverside was killed in the collision. Officer Jason Montez told City News Service that Higgins was riding in a 2020 Chevrolet Spark being driven by her 73-year-old daughter, identified only as a Hemet resident. The Chevy was going eastbound on Lincoln and came to a stop at Ramona, where motorists have the right-of-way at all times due to stop signs only being posted going east or west on Lincoln. Montez said the woman "pulled into the path" of a southbound 2000 Nissan Frontier pickup being driven by a 35-year-old Beaumont man, traveling roughly 50 mph. "The Nissan impacted the left (driver’s) side of the Chevy, which was pushed into a 2018 Toyota Sienna minivan, whose driver was preparing to make a left turn onto Lincoln from northbound Ramona," Montez said. All of the vehicles came to a stop in the intersection. Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the scene within minutes and extricated Higgins and her daughter from the Chevy. Higgins was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where she died less than an hour later, according to the CHP. The victim’s daughter was airlifted to a regional trauma center for treatment of major injuries, Montez said. She remained in critical condition Thursday. The Nissan driver and his two children, a 6-year-old girl and an 8- year-old boy, whose identities were not disclosed, suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Montez said the Toyota driver was not hurt. The intersection was partially shut down for several hours while the wreckage was cleared and a preliminary investigation was conducted. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.