INLAND EMPIRE--Deaths of three persons have been attributed to Wednesday’s thunderstorms.

At Big Bear Lake, wind snapped a large pine tree sending it crashing onto a passing SUV. The driver, Elena Martinez, 31, of Big Bear Lake, was killed. Utility lines also came down causing a power failure in the immediate area along Catalina Road.

In Colton, a motorcyclist was killed on rain-slick Interstate 215. Highway Patrol investigators say that John Morris, 56, of Riverside was thrown to the pavement when he struck the rear of a utility truck.

In Fontana, Tina Bond, 40, was struck and killed by lightning as she stood beneath a tree.

Story Date: June 4, 2009