Inset: Gavin Hinkley and Madeline Fox (GoFundMe). Background: The squad car that Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Glynn Wilburn was driving when he allegedly slammed into California couple Gavin Hinkley and Madeline Fox (KCBS/YouTube).
A California couple running errands for their wedding was struck by an on-duty sheriff's deputy who ran a red light at 100 mph and slammed into their car — injuring the bride-to-be and killing her fiance — while rushing to a call that had already been resolved, according to police and prosecutors.
Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Glynn Wilburn, 42, was charged last week with one count of gross vehicular manslaughter, felony reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and a bodily injury enhancement allegation in connection with the September 2025 crash, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.
A lawsuit filed by the couple's families says Gavin Hinkley, 21, died at the scene and his fiancee, Madeline Fox, 20, suffered "catastrophic" injuries due to Wilburn's "grossly negligent" and reckless conduct that day.
"Wilburn was responding with lights and sirens from Beaumont to reports of shots fired in Calimesa," the DA's office says in a press release. "While traveling on Cherry Valley Boulevard at speeds of approximately 100 mph, Wilburn entered an intersection and collided with a civilian vehicle."
An investigation found that moments before the collision, police dispatch had confirmed there were no reported injuries for the reports of shots fired, according to the DA's office. The suspect vehicle involved had left the scene, and deputies had already arrived at the location of the reported shooting.
"There's no excuse for a cowboy cop to be barreling down a two-lane road through a red light," attorney Spencer Lucas, who is representing Hinkley's and Fox's families, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "He was driving so far in excess of what would be reasonable," Lucas added. "This tragic crash was completely preventable."
The parents of the victims told the Times they had their entire lives ahead of them, filled with "dreams, plans and a wedding," the newspaper reports.
"Law enforcement officers are granted certain statutory privileges, those privileges exist only when exercised with due regard for the safety of others," said Melissa and Jason Fox. "No badge, title, or position should place anyone above accountability, especially when reckless actions result in such devastating consequences."
Prosecutors and police say that before the crash, Wilburn was informed by a dispatcher that deputies were already at the scene, there were no reports of injuries and the suspect was already gone. Wilburn suffered minor injuries in the crash while Hinkley and Fox "were left inside the wreckage," according to Lucas.
Crash data shows that Wilburn "likely recognized" that the couple's Tesla was a hazard, which caused him to brake to 71 mph right before colliding with it, according to a California Highway Patrol report. But it was too late, as he was still allegedly driving at 98 mph just seconds before slamming into them.
"Madeline and Gavin's love story was altered forever when a Riverside County sheriff, going at a reckless speed, hit them leaving Madeline in critical condition and taking the life of Gavin just one month before their wedding," a GoFundMe says. "This date has forever changed the lives of many."
No arraignment date has been set for Wilburn.