Cathedral City Man Dies In Freak Accident

CATHEDRAL CITY -Police say a Cathedral City man died in a wreck just outside his home in the Cathedral Canyon Country Club.

It happened at 10pm last night on the 68-200 block of Paseo Real.

A security guard found 77-year-old Charles Dillon, who was not breathing, lying in front of his car near the tennis courts and called police, Sharpe said.

Investigators believe he was pulling into his garage when the front of car hit a wall and rammed into his home, according to Sharpe.

The sergeant said it appeared he may have panicked and put the car in reverse with the driver’s door still open. The vehicle backed down the driveway and crossed Paseo Real, where it struck a palm tree, which sheared off part of the door, he said.

The vehicle continued backing up across the parking lot of the tennis club, struck another tree, went up an embankment and struck a fence, where the car finally stopped, Sharpe said.