After son’s deadly crash, Desert Edge mother calls for safety changes on Dillon Road

A small roadside memorial of flowers, photographs and a wooden cross sits along Dillon Road in Desert Edge. For Cynthia Provost, it marks the place where she comes to remember her son.

In October 2024, Provost’s 22-year-old son, Ryan Provost, was riding his motorcycle through the intersection when a suspected drunk driver turned left in front of him, causing a crash that killed him.

The loss has left a lasting impact on the Desert Edge mother. Now, she says she wants to channel that grief into advocacy, hoping safety improvements can prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.

Provost is among roughly 8,000 people who live in the unincorporated community of Desert Edge, located next to Desert Hot Springs. Many residents regularly use Dillon Road to travel in and out of the area.

According to data gathered by the Desert Edge Community Council, traffic collisions have been a persistent issue in the community. Between 2014 and 2025, the area has averaged about 13 crashes each year, with one to two resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.

Dillon Road accounts for a significant number of those incidents. Over the last five years alone, 57 crashes have been reported along the roadway. Of those, seven caused major injuries and five were fatal.

Provost says those numbers highlight the need for stronger safety measures before more lives are lost.

The push for changes comes as Riverside County officials recently completed safety upgrades on nearby Varner Road.

Manuel Perez said improvements there included installing 18 additional stop signs and lowering the speed limit in certain areas to help slow traffic.

Perez noted that projects aimed at improving roadway safety can face hurdles, including funding constraints and the challenge of prioritizing needs across multiple communities.

Still, residents in Desert Edge hope similar improvements could eventually come to Dillon Road.

For Provost, the goal is clear: make the roadway safer so that another family doesn’t have to build a memorial where a loved one once rode.

County leaders say they are also surveying residents in unincorporated communities to better understand local concerns and determine where future road safety upgrades may be needed.