On the night of January 23, a quiet stretch of State Route 138 near Mountain Road in Pinon Hills became the scene of a tragedy that has shaken this rural slice of San Bernardino County. At about 8:19 p.m., emergency crews were called to a three‑vehicle crash that left one woman dead and set off a major investigation by the California Highway Patrol and sheriff’s deputies.
Responders found chaos on the highway. A silver Toyota Camry traveling eastbound crossed into oncoming traffic in the left turn lane at Mountain Road and smashed head‑on into a white Kia Forte driven by 65‑year‑old Pinon Hills resident Karla D. Jett. The force of the impact shoved her car back into the westbound lanes, where it was struck again by a black Lexus RX350.
Paramedics worked the scene, but Jett was pronounced dead there. The crash left her family and neighbors grieving the loss of a woman described by those who knew her as a familiar face in the community. The driver and passenger of the Lexus suffered injuries that, while serious enough to require care, were not life‑threatening.
The driver of the Toyota was quickly identified through booking records as 26‑year‑old Francisco Jeremias Massac of Fontana. Officers arrested him at the scene after determining he was under the influence of alcohol and behind the wheel with a suspended license.
Massac now faces an array of charges, including murder under California Penal Code section 187, multiple DUI counts for causing bodily injury and having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, and two counts related to driving on a suspended license. He was booked into the High Desert Detention Center where he is being held without bail. His first scheduled court appearance is February 2 at Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court.
Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash, though investigations are ongoing as CHP continues to piece together exactly what led up to the deadly collision. Traffic on the rural highway was disrupted for hours as crews worked and investigators combed the scene for evidence.
Local authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information to contact Officer C. De Santiago at the CHP Victorville Area Office. The loss of Jett has reminded many in this part of the High Desert of how quickly a split‑second decision on the road can end a life.
