Collision between fire engine, sedan in Hemet kills motorist, 10-year-old boy
HEMET, Calif. (KESQ) - A San Jacinto man and his 10-year-old family member fatally injured when their sedan and a Cal Fire engine collided at a Hemet intersection were identified today.
Arthur Fernandez, 43, and Arthur Fernandez Jr. of Hemet were killed in the collision that occurred Friday at Domenigoni Parkway and Gibbel Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
It could not be immediately confirmed Monday whether they were father and son.
A third person riding in the same Mini Cooper as the boy and man was also injured. That individual's identity was not released, and there was no word on whether the person remained hospitalized.
The crash occurred at 12:20 p.m. Friday when the Mini Cooper entered the intersection at the same time as the state fire engine, which was assigned to a Riverside County Fire Department station. It had been dispatched to a brush fire in the San Bernardino National Forest along Highway 74, just east of Valle Vista.
The blaze was handled jointly by the U.S. Forest Service and county fire personnel. It was knocked down within two hours, burning just under three acres, according to USFS rangers.
Arthur Fernandez was at the wheel of the car, going westbound, when the northbound fire engine slammed into the driver's side of his vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The smaller vehicle was crushed. A narrative on the collision had not yet been provided by the CHP's Beaumont office Monday. However, officials confirmed Friday the engine's lights and sirens had been activated.
The 10-year-old victim and the other passenger in the Mini Cooper were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center, where the boy was pronounced dead an hour later.
The three firefighters that comprised the engine crew were taken to the same facility for treatment of minor injuries, according to the fire department.
Personnel from the Hemet Fire and Police departments, as well as CHP officers and additional county fire crews, were sent to the intersection, which was completely shut down Friday afternoon.
The CHP was handling the investigation because a state vehicle -- the fire engine -- was involved. The county has long contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection and emergency services.
