A 44-year-old Victorville man has died after being struck by a car along Silica Drive just west of First Avenue in the early morning hours, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials. Jaime Moroyoqui, who lived in Victorville, was hit just after 4 a.m. on a Sunday when a black sedan traveling east on Silica Drive collided with him. He was rushed to a hospital but later died from his injuries.
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office identified Moroyoqui and confirmed he died at the hospital, according to Victorville Daily Press. Sheriff's spokeswoman Jenny Smith told Victor Valley News that the black sedan was heading eastbound on Silica Drive when it struck Moroyoqui, helping establish the sequence of events leading up to the crash. The driver remained at the scene, and the cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Moroyoqui was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, which serves as the region's primary Level I trauma center for San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, and Mono counties — the highest tier of emergency care available for severe injuries suffered in the High Desert. That designation underscores the seriousness of his injuries.
Investigation Continues Into Cause of Crash
Victorville police have not yet said what factors contributed to the crash. It remains unclear whether Moroyoqui was crossing at an intersection or mid-block when he was struck, a detail that could shape how investigators ultimately assign fault.
California law treats those scenarios differently. Under Vehicle Code Section 21954, pedestrians crossing mid-block or outside crosswalks are required to yield to vehicles, though drivers must still use due care for pedestrian safety, according to Cefali Law. Separately, Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians inside crosswalks at intersections while barring pedestrians from suddenly stepping off a curb into traffic, per the City of Del Mar.
A Dangerous Corridor in a High-Risk County
The predawn timing of the crash fits a broader pattern of nighttime visibility concerns. Statewide crash data compiled by UC Berkeley's Safe Transportation Research and Education Center shows 51% of fatal pedestrian collisions in California occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight in 2023, while 9% occurred between midnight and 6 a.m., as reported by J&Y Law. San Bernardino County itself recorded 120 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, the second-highest total among California's 58 counties behind only Los Angeles County.
Silica Drive has seen fatal crashes before. In June 2022, a bicyclist was rear-ended and killed by an SUV on Silica Drive near Hesperia Road, according to BikinginLA. And in August 2020, a 74-year-old bicyclist was critically injured in a hit-and-run along First Avenue between Jasmine Street and Silica Drive — just blocks from where Moroyoqui was struck — and had to be airlifted to a trauma facility, per the same Victor Valley News archive.
The corner of Silica Drive and First Avenue is also near the site of the crash.
Investigators Seek Tips as Case Remains Open
Moroyoqui's death adds to reports of fatal crashes across the High Desert, including the fatal Highway 395 crash that killed 60-year-old Apple Valley woman Mary F. Handford. Details of Moroyoqui's case remain limited as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Victorville Police Department at 760-241-2911, or to report tips anonymously through the WeTip hotline at 844-909-3096.
