A Riverside County, California couple was on a routine errand run for their upcoming wedding when their lives changed forever. Gavin Hinkley, 21, and his fiancée Madeline Fox, 20, were driving through an intersection in Calimesa when a sheriff’s deputy barreled through a red light at approximately 100 mph and slammed into their vehicle.
Hinkley died at the scene. Fox was left with what her family’s attorney described as “catastrophic” injuries. Their wedding was just one month away.
What makes the crash especially devastating — and has now led to criminal charges — is what investigators say happened moments before the collision: the emergency the deputy was racing toward was already resolved.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Glynn Wilburn, 42, was responding to a shots-fired call in Calimesa when the crash occurred in September 2025. But according to prosecutors, dispatch had already confirmed before the collision that no injuries were reported, the suspect vehicle had left the scene, and other deputies had already arrived at the location.
“There’s no excuse for a cowboy cop to be barreling down a two-lane road through a red light. He was driving so far in excess of what would be reasonable. This tragic crash was completely preventable.”
Wilburn has since been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, felony reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, and a bodily injury enhancement allegation, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Crash data shows he braked to 71 mph just before impact — down from 98 mph seconds earlier — suggesting he recognized the danger but could not stop in time.
Wilburn suffered only minor injuries. No arraignment date has been set.
The families of both victims released a statement holding law enforcement to account: “No badge, title, or position should place anyone above accountability, especially when reckless actions result in such devastating consequences.”
A GoFundMe set up for the couple describes their story simply: “Madeline and Gavin’s love story was altered forever.” Hinkley never made it to his own wedding. A case that began with a false alarm ended with a family shattered.
