SAN JACINTO, Calif. () — As red flag warnings prompted by Santa Ana winds remain in effect for parts of Southern California, a San Jacinto family is sharing its story after high winds led to a devastating injury that nearly killed their loved one.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel brought not only rain but also powerful winds across southwest Riverside County on Oct. 10. The strongest winds were reported in areas including Perris, Temecula, Hemet and San Jacinto.
“It was scary,” Alexandra Roldan said. “It was rocks, debris hitting the car and everything. A lot of cars were going like five miles per hour.”
Roldan described the conditions as resembling a tornado.
“It was a tornado, a mini tornado. That’s all I was telling my daughter,” she said.
According to Roldan, the storm’s winds caused a large tree branch to break off in the family’s backyard and fall on her son, Richard, pinning and crushing him.
“It was humongous. I tried moving it. It was so heavy. Couldn’t move it,” Roldan said.
Roldan said not only did her son suffer numerous broken bones, but he had to have heart surgery.
“He broke his ankle. His whole foot shattered. His pelvis broke in two. He had nine broken ribs, and five (broken) vertebrae in his lower back,” she said.
Roldan said Richard regained consciousness in the hospital several days after the incident but remained on a breathing tube.
The family has established a GoFundMe account at Fundraiser by Casandra Wills : Ricky’s Road to Recovery After An Unlucky Accident to help cover medical expenses.
With strong Santa Ana winds forecast over the next several days, Roldan said she hopes their experience serves as a warning for others to pay close attention to the condition of trees on their property.
“It’s really dangerous,” Roldan said. “… I never was scared of trees, but now with what happened to my son, all broken, I’m scared of trees.”
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