Possible Break in Deadly Apple Valley UTV Hit-and-Run Case
There could be a break in the case after two kids were killed at the hands of a driver in an orange UTV over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in Apple Valley off Stoddard Wells Road.
CHP says a passerby found the two children lying in the dirt, next to their wrecked off-road vehicle. By the time emergency crews were called to the scene, the 12-year-old boy was already dead.
Then, days later, his 11-year-old sister, who was flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center in critical condition with a severed spinal cord, according to her family, also passed away.
On Wednesday evening, July 7th, 2022, the California Highway Patrol, who is leading the investigation, showed up at a house on Resoto Road, located in the northeastern end of Apple Valley. Witnesses say that CHP had visited the home on Tuesday, but no one answered. On Thursday they came back, but no one was there. According to reports, authorities went into the garage where an orange UTV was discovered. The initial press release put out by CHP said they were looking for a vehicle that was described as “an orange Side-by-Side UTV.” Pictures show the vehicle being towed on a flatbed. As the vehicle was being driven away, witnesses confirmed that the hood of the UTV was missing.
Confirmation from the California Highway Patrol does indicate that they believe that the vehicle they have recovered is directly involved in the Stoddard Wells OHV accident on July 2, 2022. They’ve notified the family.
The weekend of the accident exploded on social media as internet sleuths made the victims’ family member’s post go viral, searching for the suspect. @InTheHighDesert also took to social media to spread the word about the family. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, a possible lead came through. An Instagram account with the username @kn1fe664 responded to the post by saying “That’s Eric I was driving wit him.” Later on in the thread, responding to another IG user, the account, whose user identifies as “Dylan” responded with “…he’s long gone.” The IG user named “Dylan” also stated in the thread that “The kids cut us off…”
On Thursday afternoon, the Victorville station for the California Highway Patrol confirmed if they were aware of the post and the user. The department did confirm that they were aware.
Witnesses who live in the area where police showed up to Thursday evening say every year during the time of Fourth of July, the house where CHP towed an orange UTV has a huge party, however, it was “dark and quiet” this holiday weekend and “no one has been there this week.”
A records check of the location where the orange UTV was picked up by authorities on Thursday evening does confirm that a person named “Eric Wei” currently lives or lived at the Apple Valley address.
No other information was available during an inquiry to the CHP, involving the name of suspects or any evidence left at the scene of the accident.