High School Student Hits Several Classmates, Three Critically
A wayward truck driven by a teenaged high school student crashed into a large group of people crossing the street in front of Hemet High School Wednesday afternoon.
The accident took place just as the high school was being let out for the day, and students had dispersed to their cars and to the streets to walk to their nearby homes.
At that time 18 year old Daniel Carrillo was driving westbound on Stetson Avenue in a 1994 Ford Ranger beyond the speed limit when he ignored a red light, hitting a large group of pedestrians making their way through a crosswalk.
There were eight people hit by the truck, seven of which were students at the school; the other was a 60 year old adult. Witnesses on the scene reported that the aftermath of the crash was a mess of school supplies and bodies.
According to other students on the scene, the truck entered the right hand turn lane that led into the school’s parking lot, but instead of turning, the truck accelerated and went straight. One student recalled hearing the engine being revved, hitting very high RPMs.
Said William Saine, a student who witnessed the crash, “The car came and hit them; the truck went up and landed, and all you see is five, six, seven kids just under the car, rolling over each other.”
Paramedics who responded to the scene said that three people were left in critical condition, and the other five suffered minor to moderate injuries. The students were taken to Riverside County Regional Medical Center, and the adult was taken to Inland Valley Regional Medical Center.
The 60 year old and two students were those critically injured, including Helen Richardson, who is now in a coma, and 16 year old Kimberley Barrera, who is fighting for her life.
After the accident, Carrillo reportedly got out of the truck and tried to help those who were hit. His twin brother David was also in the car at the time of the accident, as well as a friend, 16 year old Armando Gonzalez.
Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the accident, and will determine what kind of criminal action should be taken against Carrillo. The truck was seized and impounded, and will go through a full comb over to search for anything that could give clues about the accident.
Hemet High School is providing grief counselors Thursday for any student who witnessed the crash, and his having trouble dealing with what was seen.
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Reviewed by Chris H. in 2012.