A scooter rider died and another was seriously injured in a collision in Hemet on the morning of September 22. Police arrested a Fontana man on suspicion of murder after witnesses reported that he left the scene and later returned, The Press-Enterprise reported.
The crash occurred at about 6:55 a.m. at Palm and Commonwealth avenues. Officers found two scooter riders unresponsive in the roadway; both were taken to a hospital, where one later died and the other was seriously injured. Police said the car and scooter were traveling on Palm. The collision’s precise circumstances have not been made public, according to the report.
Arrest made; formal charges and victim’s identity pending
The arrested man was identified as Mason Drew Kohler. As of Wednesday, he had not been formally charged, The Press-Enterprise reported. The rider who died had not been publicly identified. The arrest is not a finding of guilt, and the available account does not establish how the collision occurred.
Other fatal collisions provide context, not a trend
Hemet police documented a separate fatal crash on February 1, 2026, at Florida and Hamilton avenues. A bicyclist died after colliding with a delivery truck; police said the truck driver remained at the scene, impairment was not suspected, and preliminary findings indicated the bicyclist rode into the truck’s path while crossing Florida Avenue, according to the Hemet Police Department. That incident involved a different type of vehicle and road user, and police described different circumstances.
In another separate case, ABC7 reported that two 14-year-old boys died after a collision on August 25 at Arlington and Mitchell avenues in Riverside. The boys were riding an e-scooter and an e-motorcycle when they were struck by a Lexus; the driver stayed at the scene and no arrests had been made, the report said. The account did not specify the year. These separate cases illustrate different fatal collisions involving scooters, bicycles or other vehicles; a handful of incidents does not establish an increase in crashes or explain the cause of the Hemet collision.
Hemet police are asking witnesses to the September 22 collision to contact Officer Jake Dominiguez at 951-765-2400.
