Father of 12-year-old Hemet girl killed in head-on collision on SR 76 expected to face DUI charges - There was no evidence that alcohol was a factor

SAN DIEGO - A Fallbrook man hospitalized following a weekend crash that killed his 12-year-old daughter is expected to face DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges, the California Highway Patrol reported today.

Rudy Alfred Fritz, 45, lost control of his westbound 1956 Volkswagen Beetle on State Route 76 in Bonsall shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday.

The compact car, which was traveling about 35 mph, crossed a set of double yellow lines and collided head-on with a 2001 Buick Regal near East Vista Way, according to the CHP. Fritz and his daughter, Kelley, were ejected onto the roadway.

The girl, who lives with her mother in Hemet and was in northern San Diego County to spend the weekend with her father, died at the scene of the crash.

Fritz was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he was admitted for treatment of severe injuries, CHP Sgt. Tom Greenstone said.

The two Bonsall residents in the other vehicle, a 64-year-old man and his 53-year-old female passenger, were taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido for evaluation of complaints of pain.

Investigators concluded that Fritz was under the influence of a controlled substance -- believed to be a prescription medication of some type -- at the time of the crash, Greenstone said. There was no evidence that alcohol was a factor, he said.

Fritz was arrested at the hospital later that night.

Due to its age, Fritz's car lacks seat belts. Owners of vehicles that predate safety-restraint laws are not legally required to retrofit them with the equipment, the sergeant noted.

Name released of 12-year-old Hemet girl killed in head-on collision on SR 76

SAN DIEGO - Authorities released the name today of a 12-year-old Riverside-area girl killed last weekend in a head-on collision in Bonsall.

Kelley Fritz of Hemet was a front-seat passenger in a westbound 1956 Volkswagen Beetle that veered into the path of an oncoming Buick Regal sedan on state Route 76 near East Vista Way about 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the San

Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.

The resulting crash hurled the girl, who was not wearing a seat belt, out of the small car. She died at the scene.

The drivers of both cars were hospitalized.

Head-on traffic collision kills 12-year-old Hemet girl

A 12-year-old girl was killed in a head-on collision on the Bonsall bridge around 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 25.

According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Joe Chappelle, Rudy Alfred Fritz, a 44-year-old Fallbrook resident, was driving a 1956 Volkswagen Beetle westbound on the SR76 at 35 mph, with the 12-year-old girl as his front seat passenger.

The Volkswagen drove east of East Vista Way when Fritz drove his vehicle over the double yellow line “for an unknown reason,” colliding with a Buick sedan, which had been traveling westbound at 40 mph.

Fritz and the girl, neither of who had been wearing safety restraints, were ejected from the car. The girl, who was from Hemet and was in the area visiting family, sustained fatal injuries at the scene.

Fritz, who may have been related to the girl according to the CHP, was transported to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla via medical helicopter.

The driver and passenger of the Buick, a 63-year-old male and 52-year-old female from Bonsall, were transported to Fallbrook hospital for minor injuries.

CHP had SR 76 closed south of Old River Road for more than two hours to accommodate the investigation, according to the CHP.

According to Chappelle, Fritz was arrested at Scripps Hospital for felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.

The name of the 12-year-old has not been released, pending notification of next of kin.

Previous stories follow

BONSALL - A head-on traffic collision on a Bonsall highway killed a 12-year-old girl from Hemet in Riverside County, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported today.

The victim was visiting family around 9 p.m. Saturday and was a passenger in a 1956 Volkswagen Beetle that crossed into opposing lanes of state Route 76 near the Bonsall Bridge.

Their car collided head-on with a Buick sedan.

The girl, unrestrained by seatbelts, was thrown from the car and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. Her name was not released.

The drivers of both cars were hospitalized.

EARLY STORY

BONSALL - A head-on collision Saturday night at 9:10 pm on sR 76 over the Bonsall Bridge left one person dead and one person seriously injured, according to the California Highway Patrol. Both drivers were ejected during the crash. One of the victims ejected was a woman who was reported to not be moving. CHP had sR 76 closed south of Old River Road for more than two hours to accommodate the investigation, according to the CHP. A medical helicopter transported the injured. To comment on this story, email [email protected].