Fatal auto collision with motorized scooter closes busy Hamner/Limonite intersection.
A traffic accident killed an Eastvale pedestrian in a wheelchair, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said.
The crash was reported at 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at Hamner and Limonite Avenues, a busy intersection bordered by three shopping centers and an open field about a half-mile west of Interstate 15. The intersection was still closed at 1:30 p.m. as deputies continued to investigate.
The man suffered head injuries and died at a hospital, deputies said. His red, battery-powered wheelchair was demolished in the collision with a Hyundai Azera that sustained major damage to its front bumper, grill and hood.
The car was traveling east on Limonite, and the victim was crossing south across Hamner, said Sgt. James Woodland. The motorist stopped after the accident and was not ticketed or arrested, Woodward said several hours after the incident.
Riverside County coroner’s officials have released no information about the victim or the incident. But employees at the nearby Eastvale Gateway shopping center described him as a middle-aged man with a cheery disposition.
“He was a regular here,” said security guard David Lee. “A very positive individual. Always smiling.”
Though deputies say the victim was alone, shopping center employees say he occasionally was accompanied by a younger man they thought was a son or friend.
“I just saw him last Friday evening,” recalled supermarket worker Dana Blackburn. “He was getting a tall can of beer.
“He was always upbeat. He always had a smile on his face, except in the hot weather. To me, he was a cool person. It’s sad.”
Blackburn, a bicyclist, said that intersection can be dangerous because some motorists don’t drive slowly enough or with enough caution.
“What’s the world coming to,” Blackburn wondered aloud, “when you can’t (safely) cross a street.”
Traffic was backed up as many motorists attempted to find alternate routes through the heavily trafficked intersection. Hamner was closed south to Oakdale and Limonite was closed East and West one block.
Limonite is one of only 2 roads that lead to the I-15 freeway, the other being Cantu-Galleano. Motorists living south of Limonite could access neither, instead needing to travel north on Archibald to Edison Avenue or souther on Hamner to Sixth street in Norco. Many residents also crossed the freeway along 68th into Jurupa Valley and used the East side of the I-15 onramps.
It was unclear how long the intersection would be closed for.
Sources :
RIchard Brooks: http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20120819-eastvale-crash-kills-man-in-motorized-wheelchair.ece
The Press-Enterprise: http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20120819-eastvale-crash-kills-man-in-motorized-wheelchair.ece
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OakdaleRes
