Riverside County Fire Department Engine crash

Two people were hurt after a man crashed into a Riverside County Fire Department fire engine in Wildomar on Tuesday. The incident occured at around 6:30 pm at the intersection of Gruwell and Palomar Streets, about a half mile from the Wildomar Riverside County Fire Department Station.

According to people in the area at the time of the accident, the fire engine was making a right hand turn onto southbound Palomar Street from Gruwell on a green light. The man in the car was coming the opposite direction (westbound) on Gruwell when he accellerated and smashed his Ford Thunderbird head-on into the fire engine. A CHP officer at the scene said the act was done intentionally.

According to Battalion Chief Jerry Hendershot with the Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire, the operator of the fire engine was transported to Inland Valley Hospital with back pain. His injuries were described as minor. The driver of the car was also transported to a local hospital and his condition was unknown. Witnesses said the man appeared to be unconscious after the crash. Hendershot said the fire engine was not responding to a call at the time and did not have it's lights and siren on.

The California Highway Patrol responded to conduct an investigation, but called the Sheriff's Department after the man made statements that the crash was done intentionally. The Sheriff's Department is considering the act as an assault. It is unclear whether the man was attempting to harm himself or the fire fighters.