Gavin Hinkley and his fiancée Madeline Fox were running errands and preparing for their upcoming nuptials at the time of the fatal collision
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- Riverside County Sheriff’s Glynn Wilburn was charged in a car crash that killed groom-to-be Gavin Hinkley and seriously injured his fiancée Madeline Fox
- The couple were running errands and preparing for their upcoming nuptials at the time of the fatal collision
- Fox’s family said in a statement that the couple “deserved the opportunity to build the life they had planned together”
A California sheriff’s deputy involved in a car crash that killed a groom-to-be has been charged.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Glynn Wilburn was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, felony reckless driving causing serious injury and great bodily injury enhancement, according to a June 18 release from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
An investigation revealed that during the crash on Sept. 6, 2025, Wilburn was responding to reports of shots fired while traveling on Cherry Valley Boulevard at about 100 miles per hour. He then entered an intersection and collided with a vehicle at about 71 miles per hour.
The collision led to the death of driver Gavin Hinkley and severe injury of his fiancée Madeline Fox.
Credit: GoFundMe
"Moments before the collision, dispatch had confirmed there were no reported injuries, the suspect vehicle had left the scene, and deputies had already arrived at the location of the reported shooting,” the district attorney’s office said.
An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.
Gavin and Madeline were running errands and preparing for their upcoming nuptials at the time of the fatal collision, per law firm Panish Shea Ravipud.
“What happened to Gavin and Madeline was preventable," Fox's family said in a statement, adding that the couple "deserved the opportunity to build the life they had planned together."
Credit: SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE
Lauren and Cory Hinkley remembered their son Gavin as “a beloved brother, fiancé, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend.”
“He was kind, hardworking, and deeply loved by everyone who knew him. He had his entire life ahead of him—a future filled with dreams, plans, and a wedding to the woman he loved. That future was taken from him in an instant. Gavin should still be here,” they said in a statement.
Sheriff Chad Bianco of the Riverside County Sheriff Department told PEOPLE in a statement, “The Sheriff’s Office is aware that criminal charges have been filed against one of our deputies stemming from a fatal traffic collision. The California Highway Patrol conducted a very thorough investigation, and our DA’s Office determined the driving actions of our deputy rose to the level of negligence.”
“This incident claimed the life of a young man and forever changed the life of a young woman who was a passenger. My heart goes out to the families of both victims,” he continued.
“While it may be our duty to respond to calls for service that require an expeditious response to help our residents, we acknowledge that response also requires due diligence to ensure the safety of the public during that response,” the sheriff added.
Credit: SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE
A GoFundMe page created for Fox in October 2025 has raised $47,100.
“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. This date has forever changed the lives of many,” the description reads.
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The fundraised states that Fox suffered a traumatic brain injury, as well as fractures to her eye socket, jaw, rib, hip, pelvis and lower spine. She also experienced internal injuries to her spleen, a punctured lung and a laceration to her face.
Due to her brain injury, she needs to relearn how to swallow and basic motor skills.
Read the full article here
