Victims Recovering From 2-Vehicle, Head-On Collision on Cherry Valley

At least two victims from a two-vehicle, head-on collision last week on Cherry Valley Boulevard remained hospitalized, a California Highway Patrol officer said Wednesday.

Four people sustained serious injuries in the Aug. 17 collision, which occurred when a Ford Expedition crossed the center line on Cherry Valley Boulevard and slammed into a Honda Odyssey, according to the CHP.

The collision was reported at 9:20 p.m. that night, about a half-mile west of Hannon Road on Cherry Valley Boulevard, CHP Officer Darren Meyer said.

Armando Alvarez, 18, of Beaumont, was driving a Ford Expedition west on Cherry Valley, and Chen Ho, 62, of Beaumont, was driving the Odyssey east with two women passengers, Meyer said.

Both vehicles were traveling at about 50 miles per hour, Meyer said.

Alvarez, for unknown reasons, allowed the Expedition to cross the center line directly into the path of the Odyssey and the vehicles collided head-on, Meyer said.

All four people in the two vehicles sustained serious to severe injuries, which included broken bones, cuts and bruises, Meyer said. They were all hospitalized.

The names of the two women passengers were not released. Meyer said Wednesday a family member told him his wife and daughter were still being treated for their injuries at separate hospitals, Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley, and Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda.

Alvarez was charged by the CHP with 21650 of the California Vehicle Code, failure to drive on the right side of the roadway, Meyer said. The charge has been sent to the Riverside County District Attorney's office for processing.

"It is unknown if the driver was eating, dozing off, tuning the radio or  texting/talking on his cellular phone at the time of the collision," Meyer said. "We don't have any witnesses who can confirm Alvarez was on the phone and he claims he can't remember what happened due to his head injury."

A criminal subpoena is now required to access telephone records or even look at the data on a cell phone by law enforcement officers, Meyer said.

Anyone with further information about the collision was urged to call the CHP San Gorgonio headquarters at (951) 769-2000.