Nicholas and Dominic were trapped inside their vehicle. Emergency personnel responded and freed the victims before pronouncing them dead at the scene.
Hemet, CA – 41-year-old Nicholas McWhirter and 9-year-old Dominic McWhirter died in a multi-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday evening at Ramona Expressway and Lincoln Avenue in Hemet.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash, which also sent three other people to the hospital, was reported around 6 p.m. on June 9, 2026.
Based on a preliminary investigation, an 18-year-old woman from Hemet was driving a Nissan Rogue northbound in the left-turn lane of Lincoln Avenue, approaching Ramona Expressway.
At the same time, Nicholas, also a Hemet resident, was driving a Nissan Versa eastbound on Ramona Expressway, approaching Lincoln Avenue.
Authorities said that for an unknown reason, the two cars collided at the intersection.
The impact caused the Versa to spin out of control into the westbound lanes of Ramona Expressway, where it was hit by a Ford Mustang Mach-E driven by a 34-year-old Hemet woman.
Nicholas and Dominic were trapped inside their vehicle. Emergency personnel responded and freed the victims before pronouncing them dead at the scene. Authorities believe they were all wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
The driver of the Rogue, her passenger, and the driver of the Ford were all transported to Riverside University Health System for treatment of minor to moderate injuries.
An investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the collision.
Original Story
Hemet, CA – A man and a boy died, and three others were hospitalized after a multi-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday evening in Hemet.
According to California Highway Patrol logs, the crash was reported around 6 p.m. on June 9, 2026, at Ramona Expressway and Lincoln Avenue.
The collision involved a Nissan Rogue, a Nissan Versa, and a Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Authorities said an 18-year-old Hemet woman was driving the Rogue northbound in the left-turn lane of Lincoln Avenue, approaching Ramona Expressway.
At the same time, a 41-year-old Hemet man was driving the Versa eastbound on the Ramona Expressway when the two vehicles collided at the intersection.
The impact caused the Versa to spin out of control into the westbound lanes of Ramona Expressway, where it collided with the Ford.
Responding emergency personnel found the man driving the Versa and a boy trapped inside the car with no pulse. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate the occupants from the vehicle.
Both victims were killed in the accident.
The Hemet woman, a passenger in her car, and the Ford driver were all taken to Riverside University Health System Medical Center with minor to moderate injuries.
Ramona Expressway was closed at State Route 74, and East Charton Avenue was closed at Ramona Expressway following the crash.
Authorities did not mention the factors that contributed to the crash, but an investigation is ongoing.