Hemet, California – On Saturday morning, December 12th, 2020 at about 4:00 AM, officers from The Hemet Police Department responded to a traffic collision on Florida Avenue near Kirby Street in the City of Hemet. Officers arrived and discovered a BMW 535i sedan had collided with a Honda Fit hatch-back within the east bound lanes of Florida Avenue. Tragically, the driver and passenger of the Honda were killed, and another passenger of the Honda was seriously injured but is expected to survive. The driver of the BMW was uninjured.

The investigation revealed 33-year-old Jesus Rios, a resident of Downey California, was driving east on Florida Avenue, approaching Kirby Street. The driver of the Honda, a 21-year-old Hemet woman whose name is not being released pending notification of her family, was stopped on Florida Avenue facing east for a red traffic signal. Rios continued driving east without braking, and rear-ended the Honda. Rios allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot, but a witness prevented his escape. Mr. Rios was subsequently arrested and transported to a local jail on suspicion of DUI, two counts of vehicular homicide, and attempted hit and run.

Florida Avenue was closed to traffic in both directions from Gilmore Street to Sanderson Avenue for several hours while the investigation was conducted.