SAN JACINTO: One dead in second Soboba Road rollover in 3 days

June 7, 2016 Trevor Montgomery

One person was killed in Saturday’s rollover accident on Soboba Road north of Chabella Drive. Rick Anderson photo

The truck was barely recognizable after the fatal rollover. Quentin McKendry‎ photo

SAN JACINTO – A person was killed in a single-vehicle, rollover traffic accident Saturday, June 4. The deadly accident happened after a victim’s truck rolled over several times on Soboba Road north of Chabela Drive, in San Jacinto. This was the second major rollover accident in three days on the same street.

The first rollover occurred Thursday, June 2. A preliminary investigation in that rollover determined a driver in an SUV drifted off the roadway onto the dirt shoulder. The driver over-corrected and lost control of his vehicle. The SUV then rolled 100′ down a steep embankment. Both occupants of the vehicle were reportedly ejected. One of the men sustained moderate injuries and the other suffered minor injuries. (Read full article here.)

Saturday’s accident was almost identical to Thursday’s and the two rollovers happened less than one-half of one mile apart from each other.

The mangled wreckage of the truck was not pulled from the location for several hours. Quentin McKendry photo‎

Saturday’s fatal rollover happened when the driver of a small pickup truck overturned multiple times down a steep embankment before smashing into a metal pole. The truck came to rest on its wheels. The wreck happened just outside the northeast corner of the golf course at the Soboba Springs County Club.

A preliminary investigation conducted by deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Police Station determined the rollover happened when a truck was traveling north on Soboba Road when it drifted off of the roadway to the right. “The driver over-corrected, and the vehicle slid back across Soboba Road,” Himmelberg explained. The truck then rolled multiple times before striking the metal pole. The accident was reported to Riverside County emergency communications dispatchers at 5:09 p.m.

Quentin McKendry‎ photo

Deputies, firefighters, and paramedics responded to the deadly rollover and found the mangled wreck of the barely recognizable truck. “The driver was the vehicle’s only occupant and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Himmelberg. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of the person’s family.

Soboba Road was closed for several hours while deputies investigated the accident and it was well after dark before the truck was pulled from where it came to rest after the rollover. The cause of the accident is under investigation, which is ongoing, according to Himmelberg.

The San Jacinto Police Department requests anyone having additional information regarding this incident to call Deputy Cortez at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I161560072 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.