15-year-old killed in off-road crash Sunday in Victorville

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A 15-year-old teen from Victorville was killed in an off-road crash Sunday evening.

It happened at about 5:45 pm, on December 19th in the 16200 block of Winona Street between Sunset Canyon Way and Sixth Avenue in Victorville.

Deputies from the Victorville Station, rescue personnel from the San Bernardino County Fire Department, and American Medical Response responded to a single-vehicle roll-over traffic crash that occurred in the open desert.

Sheriff’s officials said three male passengers were in a 2021 Can-Am, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and caused it to roll onto its roof.

“The driver was not injured, however, the front seat passenger, a 15-year-old male, was not wearing his seatbelt and was partially ejected from the vehicle. The 15-year-old passenger suffered major injuries and was transported to Desert Valley Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” stated a sheriff’s news release.

The rear seat passenger had a minor hand injury and was transported to Desert Valley Hospital for treatment.

The teen killed was identified via a Gofundme account as Julian “Juju” Mendoza. The fundraising account describes him as being full of love, laughter, and joy.

“On any given day, Juju could be seen wearing a smile and making others laugh,” stated the account description created by Tamara Robles. “He loved his family and was respectful as they come, never denying a helping hand. Julian excelled in school and was self-motivated, washing cars to earn money for the things he most desired.”

Money being raised will be used for funeral services and to honor his memory. Donations can be made via the following link: Julian’s Memorial.

Investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Investigative Team (M.A.I.T) were on scene for about four hours and processed the scene for evidence and interviewed witnesses.

Anyone with any information or anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Deputies R. Grissom or  D. Caudle at the Apple Valley Sheriff’s Station at (760) 240-7400 of Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 956-5001.

Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or you may leave the information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.

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