The Antelope Valley Times

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3 seriously injured in crash near Lancaster, DUI suspected

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The driver of a 2006 Cadillac failed to yield the right-of-way and caused a collision around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the intersection of 60th Street West and SR-138, according to the California Highway Patrol. [Photo by JOHN MEZA]
The driver of a 2006 Cadillac failed to yield the right-of-way and caused an injury collision around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the intersection of 60th Street West and SR-138, according to the California Highway Patrol. [Photo by JOHN MEZA]
LANCASTER — Three people were taken to the hospital with major injuries after a two-vehicle crash near Lancaster Wednesday evening, authorities said.

The collision occurred around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the intersection of 60th Street West and Highway 138 (Avenue D), according to Officer Gil Hernandez of the California Highway Patrol’s Antelope Valley office.

Dwayne Cedric Burrell, 66, of Lancaster was driving a 2006 Cadillac southbound on 60th Street West when he stopped at a stop sign and then proceeded directly into the path of a 2013 Ford C-Max, which was traveling eastbound on SR-138, Hernandez said.

The Cadillac collided with 2013 Ford C-Max driven by Julia Drew Greer of Berkeley, CHP officials said. [JOHN MEZA]
The Cadillac collided with a 2013 Ford C-Max driven by Julia Drew Greer of Berkeley, CHP officials said. [JOHN MEZA]
“There is a stop sign for north and south traffic on 60th Street West at the 138, so Mr. Burrell failed to yield the right of way to traffic… and both vehicles collided,” Hernandez said.

The Ford C-Max was being driven by Julia Drew Greer, 52, of Berkeley, who sustained major injuries in the collision, according to Hernandez.

Burrell and his passenger, 52-year-old Cynthia Mischka of Lancaster, also suffered major injuries in the collision, according to Hernandez.

All three were transported to Antelope Valley Hospital.

“Alcohol is believed to be a factor with Mr. Burrell,” Hernandez said. “He’s at the hospital and will be facing charges in the near future for DUI.”

The collision remains under investigation.

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36 comments for "3 seriously injured in crash near Lancaster, DUI suspected"

  1. Cynthia, my heart goes out to you during this troubling time being the passenger and enduring all your injuries. Our prayers are with you. FYI. .. don’t worry about your court date, just get well.See you soon.

  2. I saw these cars being towed that night. I was stopped next to them at a light and just prayed and prayed hard. I knew instantly this was a bad one. It’s a real shame people have to in danger others with there selfishness, drinking a driving kill dummies!!

  3. Can’t all these dangerous out-of-the-way intersections have the solar-powered blinking stop signs like the ones that have been put around local schools???

    • The problem out there isn’t people running stop signs. It’s people driving down the nowhere road, coming to a four way stop every mile, and then coming to what seems like an identical intersection in the middle of nowhere and assuming it is another four way stop.

      The real local folk out there know that Avenue D is highway 138, has no four way stops, and you have to be extremely careful with it. But some random person taking a day trip out to Tehachapi or wherever is a different story. If you drive Avenue D you should always be prepared when someone pulls up on the side at a stop sign, because they may look right at you and pull out, thinking you have a stop sign as well.

      • That is completely untrue. the problem IS running the stop signs. That is why the other north/south bound streets have blinking stop signs at 138. I have witnessed several stop sign runs in all the years I have commuted for work.

        • From the article “southbound on 60th Street West when he stopped at a stop sign and then proceeded directly into the path of a 2013 Ford C-Max.”

          You were saying something about “completely untrue”?

    • It DOES have a flashing STOP sign but people REFUSE to heed to it!! They FINALLY put one up after SEVERAL DEATHS at this same intersection. People that feel they’re invincible don’t care (esp after drinking). I’m so sorry that this drunk driver killed an innocent person. I hope he suffers for the rest of his life for drinking and driving!!!!

  4. At the least, there should be traffic lights on northbound and southbound 60th St. West and 90th St. West at the intersection of Ave D (SR-138). Unfortunately, it will likely require lawsuits from the families of victims killed to perpetuate any immediate change. People die there every year. There is enough traffic on both roadways and especially Avenue D to substantiate modifying the intersections. CalTrans will not make these changes until people step up and force their hand, however.

    This is not excusing drunk driving or blaming the roadway. But these are longstanding, problematic intersections.

      • No, it’s a lack of comprehension and ability to see a bigger picture on your part. Drunk driving is the primary cause. That does not mean the roadway at this location was not a contributing factor. There have been hundreds of collisions at these intersections over the years that do not involve DUI.

        • Yes-let’s install pillow barriers at all intersections for the drunk drivers and morons. Let’s pave the road with pillows or somebody who’s drunk driving might get hurt. You can’t completely idiot-proof the world, though Tim et al would like to create a nanny-state which regulates everything and gives handouts for not working. NEWS FLASH – actions have consequences. Drive drunk, attack police with an ax – you could end up injured or dead.

  5. Everyone had major injuries, but to be the passenger in a side impact like that, she must have gotten the lions share of the damage. She is lucky to be alive.

  7. 60th and Ave D.

    Intersections along Avenue D were claiming lives when I was learning to drive. My parents were horrified when I had a girlfriend in Gorman because they didn’t want me driving on Avenue D.

    That was DECADES ago. Can anyone explain why this problem has never been addressed? How many representatives have we sent to Sacramento? Just what have the Runners accomplished for us on their NorCal vacation?

    • Sounds like a drunk driver problem, not the road’s problem. Isn’t there a way to blame this on the police?

          • I would imagine horrendously bused from Neenach to Quartz Hill HS. It’s just Hard to imagine someone actually doing it. Did she live at Pyramid Lake, Econo Lodge or one of the dozen or so houses?

          • You would be correct. There are more than a dozen houses…if you define “Gorman” as “anything way the heck out that way that isn’t across the county line.”

          • Fraizer Mountain High in Fraizer Park/Lebec is the nearest High School. I got in an accident back in 1990 on highway 138 & 270th West and me and the driver got thrown from the vehicle, we were drinking and 3 operations later, my leg is still messed up

          • From their website “Frazier Mountain High School was established in 1995.” I f I had married the girl and moved to Gorman our kids could have gone there.

          • Clearly I should have said “went to high school back in my day.”

            But as all you people continue to make me feel old, consider…

            I used to know a guy who went to AV High School…who stayed in a dorm and went home to Littlerock on the weekends.

          • As of 2002 Fraizer Mountain High referred Gorman students to Quartz Hill High. Different County problem.

      • On matters like this I tend to demand more from elected representatives than from office workers and aircraft workers. How about you?

    • I live just down the road from where this accident occurred. I’ve been to two meetings in the last year about this road. They are in the planning stages to widen it, but no timeframe as of yet.

      • I read that an “environmental clearance” had been completed on the 138 between the 5 and 14, but haven’t been able to Google much on what that actually means. A lot of results from India seemed to flood the term.

        • It means it is okay for the crews to tear out native plants and grade over any animal burrows with animals still in them.