Update – July, 25
TEMECULA (CNS) – A mother accused of driving drunk with three children
in her vehicle, leading to a Temecula crash that killed her 8-year-old
daughter, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and other counts,
California Highway Patrol officials said today.
The collision happened at 6:20 p.m. Sunday at the intersection state
Route 79 and Anza Road, according to the CHP.
Investigators said Jessica Nieto, 33, of Temecula, was behind the
wheel of a 2011 Honda Pilot that was heading west on the two-lane highway when
it drifted to the right and into the dirt shoulder. Nieto attempted to pull the
SUV back onto the roadway but over-corrected, sending the vehicle into the
opposing lane, according to the CHP.
The Pilot then collided with an eastbound 2011 Chevrolet Silverado
that was going between 55 and 60 mph.
Investigators said an 8-year-old girl in the Pilot was not wearing a
seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl in the Honda suffered major
injuries and were taken to Riverside County Regional Medical Center. Nieto was
taken to Inland Valley Medical Center with major injuries.
Three Thermal residents in the Silverado were also injured and taken
to Inland Valley Medical Center. The driver, Benjamin Mauldin, 46, and a 43-
year-old woman suffered major injuries while a 12-year-old girl suffered minor
injuries, the CHP reported.
Nieto was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, child endangerment and
gross vehicular manslaughter, according to the CHP.
There was no record yet of Nieto being booked into Riverside County
jail. Although she likely remains hospitalized, the extent of her injuries was
unknown. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
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July, 24 – A child died and five others were injured in a crash in Temecula today.
The collision happened at 6:25 p.m. at the intersection state Route 79 and Anza Road, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.
Four people were seriously injured, two others had moderate injuries and one person required extrication from a vehicle, the department reported.
A child died at the scene, the department reported. Three other children and an adult suffered serious injures, and three other adults suffered moderate injuries. All the victims were transported to a hospital.
Anza Road was temporarily closed in both directions near the intersection with state Route 79, the department reported.
Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.