1 Man Killed, 3 Injured as Car Hits Parked Vehicle in Corona

An 18-year-old Corona man was killed and three other people injured when their car ran into a parked vehicle, police said Monday.

Steve Gutierrez of Corona, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident Sunday, after he was thrown from the right front passenger seat of the car, which had been eastbound on Ontario Avenue, near California Avenue, Police Officer Tom Capdeville said.

An autopsy showed that Gutierrez died of head injuries and that he also suffered damage to his spleen and liver, said a spokeswoman for the Riverside County coroner.

The driver of the car, John Hogue, 19, of Perris, sustained a concussion, cuts and bruises. And a back-seat passenger, Steve Gamble, 17, of Corona, suffered a broken right leg, cuts and bruises.

Both were admitted to Corona Community Hospital, where Hogue was listed in good condition and Gamble in fair condition Monday.

The other back-seat passenger, Garrett Dyer, 18, also of Corona, sustained several large gashes to his head, Capdeville said. He also suffered a concussion, said a spokeswoman for Riverside General Hospital, where Dyer was listed in stable condition Monday in the neurosurgical ward.

Police believe none of the young men were wearing safety belts. Besides Gutierrez, officers responding to the accident found two of the four men outside the car but were unsure if they had been thrown from the vehicle or had left it themselves.

Investigators noticed “a faint odor of alcohol” in the car, Capdeville said, but no charges have been filed in connection with the accident. “Blood was taken from all three survivors, and we’re waiting for the results of that,” he said.

The parked vehicle, Capdeville said, had run out of gas and was left unattended.