Ramona carpenter and father of 3 killed in crash on SR-78

Arturo “Junior” Flores, a carpenter and father of three, was known for helping out in the Ramona community.

Last October he built a new lemonade stand for an 11-year-old Ramona boy who had his stand stolen. He also helped build and install shade sails that were used for the Ramona Junior Fair and Country Fair this summer.

On Aug. 28, the 44-year-old was killed when the the Ford pickup he was riding in veered off a wet state Route 78, east of Weekend Villa Road in Ramona, struck a wooden post and overturned, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jasmine Lopez.

Flores and Eladio Vargas, 43, who was driving the pickup and suffered minor injuries, were returning from a construction job for Ciampoli Construction in Ramona.

“He was a sweet person, always had a big smile on his face,” said Vincent Ciampoli, owner of Ciampoli Construction, of Flores. “We have been friends since our early 20s. He ended up working for me — he was a key player in my business as carpenter and construction superintendent at times.”

Flores died before he could be taken to a hospital. He was wearing a seat belt and was in the front passenger seat, Lopez said.

Flores and his wife have two daughters and a son.

Vargas, of Lemon Grove, lost control of the 2008 Ford Ranger on a curve, Lopez said. After the truck veered off the road, it struck the post and then overturned down a dirt embankment, authorities said.

Vargas was trapped and had to be extricated by first responders. 

The incident is under investigation. Drugs and alcohol were not suspected to be factors in the crash.

Last year, Flores came through for Liam Rader, an enterprising boy who had sold lemonade in Ramona for over a year to raise money for a dirt bike.

When the stand was stolen by a man in a truck in broad daylight, Flores was among those who stepped in to help, Ciampoli said.

“We all thought that was messed up,” Ciampoli recalled about the theft. “I asked Junior if he would build the lemonade stand. He said, yeah. He built the stand for Liam and I purchased the materials. It turned out to be a real good thing.

“That was 100 percent on Junior.”

Aug. 28 started out on a light note as Flores, Vargas and Ciampoli worked on building wooden stairs at a San Pasqual property.

“It was a great day and we laughed and made fun of each other,” Ciampoli said.

After the job was done, Flores and Vargas left in the truck a few minutes before Ciampoli did in a separate vehicle. It had been raining and the streets were slick, Ciampoli said.

He said he drove by the scene of the accident but didn’t see anything.

“For me, it’s really sad because I passed them up. They must have gone off the road before I came to the hill. It must have happened really quick,” he said.

Vargas, who has some broken ribs, is still struggling to deal with the accident, he said.

“It was a tragic accident. It weighed heavy on his heart,” Ciampoli said. “We were all friends and loved each other.”