The Valley Chronicle - Possible DUI collision shears light pole, palm

[caption id="attachment_5178" align="alignright" width="576"] Photos by John Strangis
First responders assess the damage. A Good Samaritan assisted in extricating the passengers before HFD arrived on scene.[/caption] ■ By Rusty Strait / Senior Reporter An injury traffic collision occurred on Florida Avenue near Palm Avenue on Saturday, July 29 at approximately 7 p.m. Four occupants of a late model white Chevrolet 4x4 pickup truck allegedly left The Office bar, according to Hemet police officers and witnesses, and crashed into a light pole, knocking it down and hitting a tall palm tree with such force that the top snapped off and fell onto the vehicle. According to an officer on the scene, because alcohol was suspected as a cause of the collision, it was considered a crime scene and was roped off by official police tape due to the condition of the occupants. A young woman with medical experience, who declined to give her name, was on the scene and said she helped extricate the victims, who were quite bloody and going in and out of consciousness. According to her, it was impossible to know who was driving. Several hours later the truck was still embedded between the light pole and the palm tree. All occupants were transferred to a local hospital by ambulance. There were no reports as to their condition. [caption id="attachment_5179" align="alignleft" width="300"] The single-vehicle collision nearly missed shearing off a fire hydrant.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5180" align="alignleft" width="300"] The truck nearly missed a bus bench when it crashed head on into a light pole.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5177" align="alignleft" width="576"] The force of the collision snapped this palm tree off at the top.[/caption]