HESPERIA – A 24-year-old Hesperia woman lost her life in the aqueduct in the area of Main Street and Escondido on Friday. At around 12:07 a.m. deputies from the Hesperia station and the San Bernardino County Fire Department rescue personnel responded to the single-vehicle collision. A witness reported that the 2017 Kia Forte was traveling westbound on Main Street when the vehicle left the roadway and entered the California Aqueduct.
Deputies arrived to find the vehicle submerged in the water. The water flow in the aqueduct was stopped and The State of California Department of Water Resources and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dive Team responded to the scene to assist. At around 2:30 a.m., divers located the vehicle around 1400 feet south of the Main Street bridge completely submerged. The woman, later identified by family as Xanthel Linares was located deceased inside her vehicle.
The Hesperia Station Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) is conducting the investigation and westbound Main Street was closed until approximately 4:00 am from Pyrite Avenue to Escondido Avenue while investigators processed the scene. Positive identification of the victim is pending the Sheriff’s Coroner investigation.
The investigation is on-going and the exact cause of the collision is pending. Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to contact Deputy Dustin Whitson from the Hesperia Sheriff’s Station at (760) 947-1500
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