VALLEY VISTA: Hemet man killed in Hwy 74 wreck
After losing control, the victim’s vehicle spun around and was struck from behind by a utility van. John Strangis photo
VALLEY VISTA – Excessive speed and wet roads have been listed as contributing factors in an early-morning, two-vehicle, rollover traffic collision that killed a Hemet resident Monday, November 21.
The accident happened about 3:50 a.m., on Highway 74, near the Hwy 74 Discount Outlet, about 100 feet west of Calvert Avenue in Valley Vista. Valley Vista is an unincorporated community located just west of the City of Hemet.
Coroner’s officials identified the victim as Jose Valle, 41, of Hemet. A coroner’s release listed his time of death as 4:31 a.m.
According to a CHP incident report, Valle was driving a grey, 2009 Toyota Camry westbound on SR-74, east of Calvert Avenue, in the number one lane. Eric Lopez, a 26-year-old from Sun City was driving a white, 2013 Chevrolet full-size utility van eastbound on SR-74, west of Calvert Avenue, in the number one lane.
The impact of the two vehicles caused a utility van to roll over, injuring two occupants. John Strangis photo
“(Valle) lost control due to his excessive speed on the wet roadway surface. In an attempt to regain control, (he) made an abrupt turning movement to the left,” CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer explained. “The Toyota began to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, and it entered the eastbound lanes, directly into the path of a Chevrolet Van.”
As Valle lost control of his Toyota and his car spun into the path of the van and the rear of his car smashed into the left front side of the van.
The impact caused the van to roll over onto its left side where it came to rest blocking the westbound lanes of SR-74. The wrecked Toyota came to rest blocking the eastbound lanes of SR-74.
“Valle sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision,” Meyer said. He was left trapped inside his mangled Toyota and had to be extricated from his vehicle by firefighters.
The victim’s vehicle was barely recognizable after the accident. John Strangis photo
11 firefighters from two engine companies and one truck company responded to the fatal traffic collision, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Public Information Officer Jody Hagemann.
Firefighter/paramedics treated Lopez and an adult passenger from the Chevrolet van at the scene before AMR medics transported them both to Inland Valley Hospital with minor to moderate injuries.
Drug and/or alcohol intoxication have not been ruled out as contributing factors in the collision, which is being investigated by CHP.
Anyone who has information about this incident or who witnessed the fatal collision is encouraged to contact CHP officials from the San Gorgonio area station at (951) 769-2000. Callers can remain anonymous.
The fatal accident happened in the unincorporated area of Valley Vista, west of the City of Hemet and east of Homeland.
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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.
Jeez, get the area right, that’s in the Green Acres area.
Actually, it is just northeast of Green Acres. See the attached map in the article.
-TM
even if it was east Hemet, it would have been Valle Vista.
It wasn’t anywhere near east Hemet, it was on the west side of the City of Hemet. See the attached map in the article.
-TM
Valle Vista is East Hemet. The area in the map is Green Acres.
I understand most people call that whole area Green Acres or Homeland, but technically it is Valley Vista. Not Valle Vista. Check Google Maps or the map I included in the story. It is west of Homeland, just northeast of Green Acres and about 100 yards west of the City of Hemet. In retrospect, I should have just called it Green Acres or Homeland, since that is what most people think it is. Sometimes it is just easier to be wrong than right.
-TM
Thank you for Service as a deputy sheriff and Journalism trevor.
You are very welcome, Eric.
Thank you for making my day!
-TM