Father and son killed, another son hurt after fire engine crash in Riverside County

A family is asking for answers after a father and son died when a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department engine collided with their car in Hemet.

"My nephew and his little boys, those were his guys," relative Patricia Diaz said. "That was his little gang."

Relatives said Arthur Fernandez and his two boys, 10-year-old Arthur Fernandez III and 5-year-old Mikey were driving to the arcade in their black Mini Cooper on June 5 when a Cal Fire engine collided with them near the intersection of State Street and Domenigoni Parkway.

Arthur Fernandez died at the scene. His 10-year-old son died after paramedics took him to a nearby hospital with severe injuries. Mikey and three firefighters sustained injuries but survived the crash. 

"I feel like I lost a child," Diaz said. "It's going to leave a hole in our hearts and our family."

The California Highway Patrol said the Cal Fire crew was driving north on State Street while en route to the Cranston Fire when it collided with the family's Mini Cooper, which was driving west on Gibbel Road. Investigators said the fire engine had its emergency lights and sirens activated. 

Family members said Arthur Fernandez was a former wildland firefighter before becoming a heavy machinery operator. They said he followed the rules of the road, stopping at the intersection before driving forward when the light turned green. 

"Knowing Arthur, and knowing his experience," Diaz said. "The respect that he had for fire trucks and fire engines, that heavy equipment, he would have stopped had he heard and seen them."

According to the family, witnesses said the fire truck did not slow down and cut through the intersection at about 40 mph before the collision. 

"It's a tragic, tragic accident," Diaz said. "But for my little nephew, Mikey, that's going to be left without his dad. He's going to be missing out on a lot of experiences."