Riverside County Sued Over Deadly Calimesa Crash

Riverside County is facing a wrongful-death and injury lawsuit over a September 2025 crash in Calimesa that killed 21-year-old Gavin Hinkley and seriously injured his fiancée, Madeline Fox. The suit, filed May 7 in Riverside County Superior Court, alleges Deputy Glynn Allen Wilburn of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Cabazon station ran a red light at nearly 100 mph and struck the couple’s Tesla at Cherry Valley Boulevard and Roberts Street. A California Highway Patrol investigation cited in the complaint said the deputy was responding to a call for service with lights and sirens activated. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has said the criminal investigation remains active. ### Who is suing, and over which crash? Gavin Hinkley’s family and Madeline Fox sued Riverside County, Wilburn and other defendants over the collision that happened just after 10 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2025, in Calimesa. KESQ reported the lawsuit was filed this month, and a law firm representing the families said the couple had been out running wedding errands when the patrol vehicle hit them. (kesq.com) The intersection at issue is Cherry Valley Boulevard and Roberts Street. Earlier reporting on the crash said Hinkley was driving a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and the deputy was driving a 2018 Ford Explorer patrol vehicle westbound on Cherry Valley Boulevard. ### What does the lawsuit say Deputy Wilburn did? Deputy Glynn Allen Wilburn was traveling about 100 mph and had his brakes off two seconds before impact, according to the California Highway Patrol investigation cited by the plaintiffs and described by KESQ. (kesq.com) The lawsuit alleges he entered the intersection against a red light and hit the driver’s side of the Tesla. (kesq.com) Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, which announced the suit, said the CHP Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team report found Wilburn was still traveling nearly 98 mph shortly before the crash. The firm quoted attorney Spencer Lucas as calling the crash “a preventable tragedy caused by reckless conduct,” though that characterization is the plaintiffs’ allegation, not a court finding. (kesq.com) ### What happened to Hinkley and Fox? Gavin Hinkley died at the scene, according to KESQ and earlier crash coverage. Madeline Fox survived but suffered a traumatic brain injury and other permanent injuries, the lawsuit alleges. Madeline Fox was 20 at the time the lawsuit was announced, and the complaint says her injuries were catastrophic. (panish.law) The plaintiffs also say the crash came weeks before the couple’s wedding. ### Why are other defendants named in the case? The complaint goes beyond the deputy’s driving and names other public and private defendants tied to the intersection and emergency response. (kesq.com) Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP said the suit alleges blocked sightlines, utility boxes that obstructed visibility and inadequate traffic controls at the crossing. The firm said Riverside County, the cities of Beaumont and Calimesa, and Southern California Edison are among those accused of failing to correct known hazards. (panish.law) American Medical Response and 911 dispatch decisions are also challenged in the complaint. The plaintiffs allege paramedics treated and transported Wilburn before attending to Hinkley and Fox, and they say dispatchers failed to properly triage the call or prioritize advanced life support. Those claims remain allegations in the civil suit. (panish.law) ### What have authorities said since the crash? The California Highway Patrol said in September 2025 that the deputy had been responding to a call with emergency lights and sirens activated when the crash occurred. Early reports also said drugs and alcohol did not appear to be factors. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on pending litigation, according to follow-up coverage cited in search results. (panish.law) KESQ reported that the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said the investigation into possible criminal charges remains active. ### What happens next in the case? (kesq.com) The May 7, 2026 complaint is now pending in Riverside County Superior Court, where the plaintiffs are seeking damages over Hinkley’s death and Fox’s injuries. Court records are available through the Riverside Superior Court’s public-access system. The next major step is likely to be the county’s formal response to the complaint and any decision by prosecutors on whether Wilburn will face criminal charges. (dnyuz.com) As of KESQ’s May 8 report, the District Attorney’s Office said that investigation was still active. (kesq.com) (newsbreak.com)