LOS ANGELES: Coroner ID’s local motorcyclist in fatal crash with commuter train
The wrecked motorcycle as seen in an image from NBC4 Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES – A local motorcyclist was killed in an early morning accident after colliding with a Metro Expo Line west of downtown Los Angeles Monday, Sept. 26. The deadly collision happened at a rail crossing in the area of Washington Boulevard, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Matthew King.
The train operator and eight passengers aboard the train reported to investigators they were not aware the collision had occurred until they were told about the deadly accident when the train reached its next stop, about a mile and a half past where the accident occurred, authorities said.
Los Angeles County coroner’s officials identified Orlando Navarro, 26, of Temecula, as the man killed in the collision. The coroner’s office reported Navarro succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deadly crash was reported to emergency first responders just before 1:30 a.m.
The wrecked motorcycle was found at a railroad crossing at Washington Blvd in W. Los Angeles. onscenetv.com photo
Upon their arrival, police and fire officials located a motorcycle and debris at the collision scene and spread along the railroad tracks for several blocks beyond where the deadly collision happened.
The motorcycle was described as an unknown make or model, red and white, high-performance motorcycle.
Navarro’s body was reportedly found about five blocks away along side the railroad tracks. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
A preliminary investigation revealed Navarro was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crashed into the moving train, according to King.
Officials plan to review surveillance video footage taken at the crossing to try to determine the cause of the crash, which is still under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Traffic Division.
Service along the Expo Line – which connects downtown Los Angeles with Santa Monica – remained closed for several hours during the investigation. Train passengers had to be bused around the site of the deadly crash while the accident was under investigation, King said.
Navarro’s death was reportedly the first fatality related to the Expo Line since it was completed in 2015. Major construction of the Metro Expo Line began in 2012 and the extension to Santa Monica opened May 20, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The Expo Line resumed operation later Monday morning.
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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.