For more than 20 years, Natalie Ann Flores walked the streets of Phelan, often choosing to travel on foot rather than drive. It was a habit born from a deep-seated fear of being behind the wheel, one that her daughter and loved ones knew well. But on the evening of Jan. 27, as light rain fell over the High Desert, Flores’ routine walk turned fatal. She was struck and killed by a white Dodge Ram pickup at the intersection of Johnson Road and Smoke Tree Road.
Flores, 55, was pronounced dead at 5:59 p.m., according to San Bernardino County Fire logs. The driver of the pickup remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. Reports from the scene indicated that the truck’s side mirror was broken and hanging from the vehicle after the collision.
Her family does not know why she was walking that evening. While Flores often traveled on foot, the circumstances surrounding her presence near the roadway remain unclear.
The tragedy is a painful echo of another devastating loss for the family. In 2016, Flores’ husband, Ed Pere, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Wilson Ranch Road during a New Year’s Eve snowstorm. He was driving with Flores and their then 12-year-old daughter, Hollie, when their SUV skidded and struck a pole. Pere died at the scene, Hollie suffered a cracked pelvis, and Flores sustained a broken wrist.
Ed actively participated in various groups that helped to improve the Tri-Community and support its youth. He is remembered for his commitment to making Phelan a better place to live.
Almost a decade later, his wife’s life has also been claimed by a crash on a rural road.
Over the years, there have been many accidents in the area where Flores was struck, and road safety has been an ongoing concern for the Tri-Community. Like many other roads in the area, Johnson Road lacks sidewalks, leaving pedestrians vulnerable. The combination of poor lighting, inconsistent road conditions, and drivers traveling at high speeds has led to multiple fatal accidents in recent years.
A main thoroughfare, Phelan Road, is slated for a long-awaited road improvement project. Work on the project began in late February, and Phelan Road will be repaved in preparation for a larger, wider project planned for the near future. The improvements will include designated turn lanes, widened shoulders, and enhanced visibility measures, though questions remain as to whether these changes will be enough to protect pedestrians and drivers alike.
For Flores’ family, the grief is overwhelming. Her children—Heather, Hollie, Andrew, and Josh—have now lost both parents to roadway accidents. As they mourn, the community is again reminded of the dangers that persist on the roads they travel daily.
