BANNING: Body found in wrecked car connected to missing persons investigation
A coroner’s official waits as the victim’s car is recovered from the embankment. Miguel Shannon photo
The car went 50-60 feet down the embankment before it struck a tree. William Hayes photo
BANNING – Details are still emerging after a body was recovered from a car that was found over the side of the roadway and smashed into a tree along SR 243 near Lake Fulmor in Banning Thursday, Oct. 27. The area where the car was located is northwest of Idyllwild and Pine Cove.
The vehicle, described as a newer, white Nissan Altima was first spotted and called in to California Highway Patrol emergency dispatchers at 4:37 p.m. The 911 caller told dispatchers the vehicle was about 50-60 feet over the side of the road. It had continued down the steep embankment until it crashed into a tree.
The caller also told dispatchers the car looked like it had been there for a while and appeared to be an older accident, according to a CHP incident log.
The car stopped about 50-60 feet after smashing into a tree. William Hayes photo
The person reporting the accident provided the car’s license plate number to dispatchers, who determined the vehicle was registered to a person who had been listed in a missing person’s investigation. The person was reported missing Oct. 23.
Emergency crews eventually pulled the vehicle from the embankment and recovered the body of a person killed in the accident. The victim has not been named pending identification and notification of the victim’s family. It was not yet known if the victim was the subject listed as the missing person.
“Within the Altima was a solo-driver of the vehicle who was deceased upon our arrival,” investigating CHP Officer Michael Bell explained at the scene about the fatal accident. “The cause of this collision has not been determined at this time.”
A coroner’s official inspects the Nissan Altima, that was found 50-60 feet over the side of highway 243. Miguel Shannon photo
The victim’s car was towed and stored as evidence in the ongoing missing person’s investigation.
Anyone with information about this accident or the missing person’s investigation is encouraged to contact California Highway Patrol officials from the Indio area station at (760) 772-8911. Callers can remain anonymous.
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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.
Was this persons identity ever established? I cannot find any other reports about this incident.
Hi Brooke,
I searched all the sheriff’s and coroner’s archives and logs and could find nothing at all. I have called the coroner’s office and am hoping they can provide more info when they call me back after researching the incident.
-TM
Yes it’s very strange. There is no coroners report of that accident from what I was able to find. Thank you for checking, if you find anything please let me know. Thank you
I will Brooke. Whenever they don’t release that info it really makes me wonder, because it is always the odd cases that leave nothing but questions in the first place.
-TM
Ha I agree. It is also odd I cannot find any info relating to the missing person in this case. That is also a pain. The police were able to determine the accident and missing person were linked while the accident was reported. Hmmm. Good luck!