MENIFEE – Fatal rollover traffic collision investigated in Menifee

Trevor Montgomery

Riverside County News Source

For Valley News

MENIFEE – On December 16, a 59-year-old Perris resident was killed in a rollover traffic collision when his vehicle left the I 215 and smashed over the freeway’s sound wall and into a utility pole adjacent to the freeway.

At about 11:20 p.m., Riverside County Sheriff deputies, officers from California Highway Patrol and emergency first responders from Riverside County Fire and AMR received a call about the reported accident.

First arriving deputies eventually located the vehicle, described as a 1987 Suzuki Samurai, and quickly determined the vehicle had left the freeway before coming to rest in a field adjacent the highway.

According to Jennifer Fuhrman, press information officer for Riverside County Fire Department, emergency first responders quickly determined the driver of the vehicle suffered fatal injuries in the traffic collision and he was pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident.

The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was later identified as Fernando Quintanilla. A coroner’s report listed Quintanilla’s time of death as 11:45 p.m., the time when emergency first responders first located Quintanilla’s wrecked vehicle. The small SUV was located approximately 1 mile south of Ethanac Road.

Explaining how the accident occurred, CHP Officer Pirko wrote Quintanilla had been travelling Southbound on the 215 freeway at approximately 70-80 mph when witnesses said he suddenly veered off the freeway. Witnesses and evidence located at the scene of the fatal rollover traffic collision indicated Quintanilla’s vehicle left the paved roadway onto the dirt shoulder before smashing over the barrier wall and into a utility pole.

Surrounding streets were closed for several hours while officers investigated the wreck and removed the mangled vehicle.

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