MORENO VALLEY: Head-on collision forces Gilman Springs closure

Both vehicles involved in the head-on collision sustained major damage. Jolie Chaton photo

 

MORENO VALLEY – Two people were injured in a head-on traffic collision this morning on Gilman Springs Road, just east of Allesandro Boulevard in Moreno Valley. A second, unrelated crash was reported 45 minutes after the first crash. That accident involved two vehicles and happened east of the first accident on Gilman Springs Road near Bridge Street.

The accident and debris in the roadway forced the temporary closure of eastbound lanes of traffic. However, as of 7:15 a.m., all lanes of Gilman Springs Road had reopened and traffic was moving through the area unimpeded.

California Highway Patrol officers, Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighter/Paramedics, and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the accident after multiple witnesses called 911 to report the wreck at 5:03 a.m.

Callers told CHP emergency dispatchers that one vehicle was smoking and the driver was possibly trapped inside the mangled wreckage of their vehicle, according to a CHP incident log. Callers also advised the vehicle’s airbags had deployed.

The two vehicles involved in the wreck were described as a black Nissan Altima and a burgundy Toyota 4Runner.

A Cal Fire/Riverside County Battalion Commander was the first official to arrive at the scene. He initially called for a cut and rescue operation; however, it was unknown if either of the victims required extrication from their mangled vehicles.

The impact caused the 4Runner to spin up onto a dirt embankment and left the Altima blocking the eastbound lanes of traffic. The accident left debris and vehicle parts strewn across the entire roadway.

Firefighter/Paramedics treated the victims at the scene before AMR medics transported them to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment. In spite of the collision that left the two vehicles destroyed, an officer at the scene described the victim’s injuries as minor.

Jolie Chaton, who drove through the scene shortly after the wreck happened described what she saw in the immediate aftermath of the collision.

“They started to let us through on the other side so it became a back and forth thing with the cars,” Chaton said. “Traffic was backed up for a very long way on both sides, but more so the side headed towards I-60.” Chaton said the first tow truck had arrived just as she was slowly working her way past the accident.

The second crash was reported to CHP dispatchers at 6:15 a.m. The collision involved a Dodge Charger and a second vehicle that went off the roadway. No other details were immediately available regarding that collision.

Two tow trucks were summoned to the scene of the first accident to help remove the two vehicles from the roadway, which was closed to eastbound traffic while officers conducted their investigation and the vehicles were towed. The road closure forced frustrated morning commuters and other motorists to choose alternate routes to their destinations.

CHP officers are investigating the cause of the two accidents. Their investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone who has information about either of the two accidents or witnessed either of the collisions is encouraged to contact CHP officials at (951) 769-2000. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

 

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.