Two people visiting the hi-desert were killed in two separate traffic collisions in the area surrounding the Johnson Valley off-roading area in the last week.
Luamata Halaholo died on Thursday (February 1), in what the San Bernardino County Coroners’ Office called a traffic death on a “county roadway” near Lucerne Valley. Halaholo was a 20 year-old resident of West Covina. The California Highway Patrol, who is investigating the incident, did not provide further information regarding this collision.
UPDATED, 5 p.m.: The CHP reports that this collision occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on Old Woman Spring Road east of Post Office Road in Lucerne. A Hyundai sedan, driven by a man 31 year-old man from West Covina was travelling westbound on OWS when attempted to pass a truck in the eastbound lane. The Hyundai collided head on with an eastbound Toyota, drivien by a 31 year-old woman from Lucerne Valley.
Halaholo, a passenger in the Hyundai, was pronounced dead at the scene. All other people involved in the crash, including the driver of the Hyundai and another 35 year-old male passenger, and the driver of the Toyota and her 7 year-old passenger, were taken to a local hospital for major to moderate injuries.
Drugs and or alcohol are not considered to be factors in this collision.
Steven Etherington, 43, was killed in a traffic death in what was described by the county coroner as the “desert area” in Johnson Valley. Etherington was a resident of Lake Elsinore. No further information was provided by the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office.
Z107.7 will provide updates on these incidents as we learn more.
UPDATED, 5 p.m.: The Coroner’s Office confirmed that this incident occurred at King of the Hammers. Z107.7 has contacted the CHP’s Morongo Basin Station for additional information.
