Man killed by alleged DUI driver in DHS identified

A senior citizen killed by an alleged DUI driver in Desert Hot Springs in April has been identified.

76-year-old Desert Hot Springs resident Thanom Pimpa was struck near the intersection of Mission Lakes Boulevard and West Drive on at 6:25 p.m. on April 25. He died seven minutes later, according to a Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau release.

The driver of the vehicle that struck Pimpa, 53-year-old Desert Hot Springs resident Rebecca Goehner, was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and gross vehicular manslaughter. Goehner allegedly ran a stop sign before striking Pimpa, according to a Desert Hot Springs Police Department news release.

Goehner remains behind bars, was being held at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $115,000 bail, but has since been released, according to Riverside County jail records.

Anyone with information relevant to this incident is urged to contact Corporal Carranza or Corporal Hazen at DHSPD at 760-329-6411 at extension 375 or 372