BREAKING: SAN JACINTO – Pedestrian fatally struck while crossing Hewitt St.
WRITERS NOTE: THE NAME OF THE DRIVER, WHICH WAS PROVIDED BY A WITNESS AT THE SCENE AND THE DRIVER’S WIFE, HAS BEEN OMITTED FROM THIS REPORT, PENDING VERIFICATION AND RELEASE FROM THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT.
WRITERS NOTE #2: A PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS REPORT INCLUDED A STATEMENT FROM THE WIFE OF THE DRIVER INVOLVED IN THIS COLLISION. THAT STATEMENT AND HER QUOTES HAVE BEEN REMOVED AT HER REQUEST.
UPDATE: 09/27/2016 12 p.m.
Sheriff’s vehicle blocked off several streets leading to the location of the deadly accident. John Strangis photo
More information has been released from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department regarding last night’s fatal vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision at the intersection of Hewitt Street and Park Avenue.
The accident happened at about 7:50 p.m.
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Station conducted an accident investigation after the deadly accident.
Hewitt Street was closed for several hours while deputies conducted a thorough investigation into the fatal collision.
Their investigation revealed a male pedestrian was crossing the street when he was struck by a vehicle traveling south on Hewitt Street.
“The driver of the vehicle stopped after the collision and remained at the scene,” Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Himmelberg wrote in an email response to inquiries about the accident that occurred Monday, Sept 26.
“Neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected in the incident,” according to Himmelberg.
The victim of the deadly accident remains unidentified, pending identification and notification of the man’s family.
The San Jacinto Police Department has requested that anyone who witnessed the collision or who has additional information regarding the incident to call Deputy Leal at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I162700097 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.
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ORIGINAL REPORT
The driver of the pickup truck involved in the fatal accident pulled over just around the corner from the accident so his 3 children inside his truck would not be able to see the body of the dead pedestrian. Miguel Shannon photo
SAN JACINTO – A pedestrian was struck and killed Monday, Sept. 26 while crossing the road at the lighted intersection of Hewitt Street and Park Avenue, at the border of the cities of San Jacinto and Hemet.
Hemet police and fire personnel were initially dispatched to the scene of the fatal accident; however it was later determined the collision occurred just within the San Jacinto city limits.
When the call was originally dispatched at just after 7:50 p.m. Hemet police officers, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Police Station, City of Hemet firefighters, Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters and American Medical Response emergency medical technicians all responded to the deadly crash.
Emergency first responders from all agencies began arriving in the area within minutes of the initially dispatched call, at which time officials determined the accident happened in San Jacinto.
Several 911 callers reported to City of Hemet emergency dispatchers that the man was not breathing and appeared to be deceased at just before 8 p.m.
The driver of the truck sits with a sheriff’s deputy after the fatal collision. Miguel Shannon photo
At about the same time, San Jacinto sheriff’s deputies began to close all roads in the area that could lead to where the pedestrian’s body ended up after being struck. According to numerous witnesses at the scene the victim’s body landed in or near the front yard of a private residence.
Although the driver of the pickup truck who struck the pedestrian did not stop immediately, he pulled over and stopped on Terrace Drive, within view of where the accident occurred and where the victim’s body came to rest.
Witnesses at the scene described the vehicle that stuck the pedestrian as a white or tan Ford work truck with New Day Solar images on it. Witnesses at the scene also said the front of the truck sustained front end damage from the collision.
All fire, paramedics and emergency medical technicians were cancelled at about 8 p.m. after deputies on scene determined the pedestrian had succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not been identified pending official identification and notification of his family.
A sheriff’s deputy uses a roll-a-tape to begin documenting the fatal traffic collision. Miguel Shannon photo
Michele Wallace, who was outside her residence with her husband and a neighbor when the collision happened described what she saw and heard immediately after the fatal accident.
Wallace, whose husband and friend reportedly witnessed the accident, said after the deadly collision the driver of the pickup truck pulled around the corner of Park Avenue and stopped in front of her residence on Terrace Drive, within sight of the fatal accident.
“I was outside and I heard a big boom and pop,” Wallace described. “I walked on the street and that’s when I saw the man’s dead body and the driver parked on side of the road near my house on Terrace Drive.”
“My husband was the first to ask (the driver) if he was OK and asked what happened and the man could not even answer…he was just in shock,” Wallace said.
A coroner’s van arrives a the location of the deadly collision. Miguel Shannon photo
“Then one of my neighbors – who saw everything – walked over and said to the driver, ‘Sir stay around, you hit a man and he is dead,'” Wallace explained. “(The driver) was freaking out and his kids were all crying.”
“When I asked him what happened (the driver) told me at first he thought he hit a dog.”
According to Wallace, “(The driver) said that he saw the light was green and as he went through the intersection (the pedestrian) either ran in front of or jumped out in front of his truck.”
“I don’t know if (the pedestrian) did it on purpose or if he just wasn’t paying attention,” the driver of the truck reportedly said.
Wallace explained, “The driver didn’t try to run from the scene. He had his three young children in the truck with him. They were all in shock.”
A member of the sheriff’s Forensics Services Bureau documents the scene of the fatal accident. Miguel Shannon photo
Wallace estimated the children’s ages to be about “7, 9 and maybe 12.”
“(The driver) said he didn’t stop on Park Avenue and parked on Terrace Drive because he didn’t want his kids to see the dead man’s body.”
“It was truly very sad.” Wallace said.
“(The driver) was completely in shock and concerned for the man he hit and was trying to calm and comfort his boys, who were all crying and feared their dad was going to go to jail.”
“(The driver) tried walking down to the dead man to see if he could help,” Wallace explained, “but the kids were freaking out and hysterical, so he stayed with them and called their mom to come and be with them.”
“I hope (the sheriff’s department) doesn’t charge him for a hit and run because that’s not true or what happened. This was not a hit and run, he definitely didn’t run from the accident,” Wallace opined. “(The driver) just didn’t want his kids to see the dead man or to be right in the center of it all.”
The driver completes a series of field sobriety tests to determine if alcohol or drug intoxication were factors in the deadly accident. Miguel Shannon photo
Witnesses at the scene reported the driver was cooperating fully with sheriff’s investigators and submitted to a series of standardized field sobriety tests to determine if alcohol or drug intoxication were contributing factors in the fatal collision.
Anyone who witnessed this accident or has information related to the deadly crash is encouraged to contact officials at the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station at (951) 654-2702, Callers can remain anonymous.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
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All above images provided by Miguel Shannon / Epicenter News
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.