By Darrell R. Santschi
Press Enterprise
HEMET, Calif. —Toxicology tests will be conducted to determine the cause of death of a Hemet man who died in a hospital after being stopped for a vehicle-code violation.
Manuel Hyde, 38, who lived in Hemet but police said was from Banning and San Jacinto, was pronounced dead at 5:55 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, in Hemet Valley Medical Center.
That was 80 minutes after his car was stopped in the 200 block of North Kirby Street in Hemet.
Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart said a light on the vehicle was not working when the car was stopped. A female passenger in the car was cited on a misdemeanor warrant and released.
As the two were being questioned, according to a Hemet Police Department news release, “officers noticed that the male was displaying odd behavior and that he had a substance around his mouth and lips.”
Wisehart said there had been no struggle.
Officers believed the man had ingested drugs and summoned medical aid, the release said. The man was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
The Riverside County coroner’s office and Hemet police are investigating.
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