Riverside Car Accident News

Hallucinating Man Crashes Head-On, Stabs Driver

A Southern California man undergoing detoxification from pain medicines apparently was hallucinating when he crashed his car head-on into an oncoming vehicle at noon Sunday in unincorporated French Valley and proceeded to attack the other driver, according to sergeant Jon Wade of the Riverside County Sheriff’s department. Police investigators claim that after impact, 38-year-old Garrie Aspengren, Jr. got out of his vehicle and stabbed the other driver with a cordless drill before using it to stab himself in the neck. Aspengren was not seriously injured, and as he bled from his neck wounds nearby residents were able to restrain him. The other driver received hospital treatment for injuries that resulted from both the collision and stabbing. A mental evaluation hold was placed on Aspengren and it is anticipated that he will be booked to investigate the alleged assault with a deadly weapon. A message was left at a listing for Aspengren seeking comments.

Driver Charged After Pursuing Officer Dies in Crash

A 34-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the March 18th death of a Cathedral City police officer. While pursuing Durjan Gray, Officer Jermaine Gibson lost control of his squad vehicle and was killed when he collided with a palm tree. A passenger in Gray’s Ford Mustang was also ejected when his vehicle crashed in front of a gas station. As Gray was a wanted parolee at the time of the incident, he is being held in the state prison. Gray is also being charged with felony evading arrest, driving under the influence, and engaging in criminal street gang activity, according to statements made by Riverside County prosecutors Thursday. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison. A date for his arraignment has not yet been set.

Single-Car Accident on I-10 Kills One, Injuries Four

At about 8:15 a.m. this morning on Interstate 10 near Desert Center, 45 miles east of Indio, a crash on the eastbound highway involving a single vehicle resulted in one death and four people injured, including three children. According to Cherri Patterson, one of the Riverside County firefighters on the scene, they were able to recover the body of the deceased individual using heavy cutting equipment. Patterson also said that two of the children with moderate injuries were flown to Loma Linda University Hospital by Mercy Air Ambulance, while the other child who only experienced minor injuries was transported to a nearby hospital by ground ambulance. Also, one adult with moderate injuries was taken to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs via a California Highway Patrol H-60 helicopter. The names and ages of those involved have not been released.