UPDATE: BEAUMONT: Compton man killed in solo-vehicle traffic accident on I-10 ID’d

UPDATE: 1/3/2016 1:23 a.m.

Coroner officials have released the name of the victim killed in a solo-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 Sunday, Jan. 1.

Officials identified Erick Guerra, 45, of Compton, as the man killed in the deadly accident. His time of death was determined to be 5 a.m. His exact location of death was determined to be on the eastbound SR 60/I-10, three-quarters of one mile west of Hwy 79 in Beaumont.

 

Original Story

BEAUMONT – A 45-year-old Compton resident died New Year’s Day when he lost control of his vehicle and smashed into a guard rail, according to California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire officials. The fatal, early-morning accident happened Jan. 1, on the eastbound Highway 60 west of Interstate 10 in Beaumont.

CHP and Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters responded to multiple 911 calls reporting the deadly accident about 4:40 a.m.

Seven firefighters from two engine companies responded to the scene of the deadly crash, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Public Information Officer Tawny Castro.

When emergency first responders arrived they found the mangled wreckage of a gray 2005 Honda Civic that had collided into a metal guard rail. The victim had already succumbed to his injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Firefighters arrived on scene and confirmed one fatality,” Castro explained in an incident report.

Officials have not released the victim’s identity, pending notification of his family.

A preliminary investigation by CHP officers determined the driver was traveling eastbound on I-10 when he drifted onto the left shoulder, then over-corrected in an attempt to regain control of his vehicle.

The vehicle then began spinning out of control before the Honda smashed into the guard rail. The driver was killed upon impact.

No other vehicles were involved in the fatal wreck and there were no passengers inside the victim’s vehicle at the time of the collision.

Based on their preliminary investigation, CHP officials determined the driver lost control of his vehicle due to excessive speed on the rain-slicked roadway.

Drug and/or alcohol intoxication have not been ruled out as contributing factors in the fatal crash.

 

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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.