A 34-year-old Hesperia man, David Welz, was hospitalized and cited for driving under the influence after his pickup truck ran a red light and slammed into a cement truck at the intersection of Ridgecrest Road and Bear Valley Road in Victorville on Tuesday afternoon. The crash was reported at approximately 2:26 p.m. on August 18, sending the Silverado driver to a local hospital for treatment.
Victorville Station traffic division deputies responded to the scene, according to VVNG. Investigators say a 2018 white Chevrolet Silverado was traveling eastbound on Bear Valley Road when it entered the intersection against a red traffic signal. At the same time, a 2021 Peterbilt 567 cement truck was heading northbound on Ridgecrest Road and turning eastbound onto Bear Valley Road when the two vehicles collided, per the Victorville Police Department's account relayed to the outlet.
The Silverado driver, David Welz, was cited for driving under the influence and taken to the hospital for treatment. The report did not mention the cement truck driver's condition. The case will be forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for review, the department said.
A Legal Fork in the Road for the Hesperia Driver
Driving under the influence under CVC Section 23152 is a criminal offense carrying probation, mandatory education programs, fines, and potential jail time, according to guidance published by California Courts. If prosecutors determine the crash caused bodily injury tied to the DUI, the case could instead be charged under CVC Section 23153, which allows a DUI involving an unlawful act and injury to be prosecuted as a felony carrying state prison time, per an explanation from Gorelick Law Offices. The charging outcome remains unresolved.
The wreck happened along a stretch of roadway near the BNSF Railroad bridge. Separately, Victorville has pursued other roadway improvements.
Second Serious Crash on the Same Corridor in Days
Tuesday's collision came just four days after two teenage high school seniors were killed and another person was critically injured in a fiery three-vehicle crash on nearby Ridgecrest Road near Elmwood Drive on August 14. That crash remains under active investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Pain In The Pass reported, underscoring how the Ridgecrest Road corridor connecting directly into Bear Valley Road has seen a string of severe collisions in a short span.
Regional data adds context to the pattern. An October 2024 study cited by VVNG ranked Victorville second in the nation for worst drivers, citing an alcohol-related traffic fatality rate of 13.4 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2022. Separately, California Office of Traffic Safety figures were referenced in the broader discussion. Countywide, San Bernardino County saw nearly 15,000 residents injured or killed in motor vehicle collisions in 2025, per county community indicators data.
Ongoing Efforts to Retool Bear Valley Road's Signals
Earlier this month, a Bear Valley Road transportation project was under discussion. Bear Valley Road remains a route used by truck traffic and commuters.
Anyone with information about Tuesday's crash is urged to contact Victorville Police Station at (760) 241-2911 or sheriff's dispatch at (760) 956-5001. Anonymous tipsters may also call or text We-Tip at 844-909-3006. Hoodline previously reported on Victorville's Air Expressway fatal crash, part of a wider pattern of intersection collisions raising safety concerns across the city's busiest corridors this month.
