UPDATED: SAN JACINTO: Hemet resident killed in early-morning, head-on wreck ID’d
UPDATE: Saturday, July 15, 7:30 p.m. With Coroner’s identification
Riverside County Sheriff’s-Coroner’s officials have identified the person killed in Friday morning’s fatal, two vehicle, head on collision as 57-year old Brian Crabtree of Hemet. Crabtree died at the scene of the accident at 6:26 a.m., about thirteen minutes after the accident was reported.
UPDATE: Friday, July 14, 12 p.m. With additional photos and video from scene (At bottom of report.)
UPDATE: Friday, July 14, 11:30 a.m. With CHP update
SAN JACINTO — California Highway Patrol officials have provided additional information about this morning’s fatal accident that happened on SR-79, south of Gilman Springs Road and just north of the city of San Jacinto.
One car was left all but unrecognizable when it was sheared in half after a deadly, early-morning, head-on wreck. John Strangis photo
CHP’s investigation determined a 57-year-old, Hemet resident was driving a red, 2003 Nissan Sentra northbound on SR-79, south of Gilman Springs Road just before the accident happened.
At the same time, Christopher Mix, a 43-year-old, Mentone resident was driving a white, 2013 GMC heavy-duty truck southbound on SR-79 approaching the Nissan.
“For reasons not yet determined, the driver of the Nissan veered sharply to the left, across the median section of SR-79 and directly in the path of the GMC,” CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer explained in a press release after the deadly wreck.
The vehicles collided in fast lane of the southbound of SR-79.
“The severity of the impact caused the Nissan to be torn in half and the driver was killed instantly,” said Meyer. The victim’s name has not been released, pending notification of the man’s family.
The driver of the GMC was wearing his seat belt and he was not injured in the collision. He was evaluated and treated at the scene but declined further treatment.
There were no passengers in either vehicle.
Alcohol and/or drug intoxication have not been ruled out as contributing factors in the collision.
CHP’s investigation into the accident and is active and ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
SAN JACINTO — Details are still emerging after one person was reportedly killed in an early-morning, head-on traffic collision Friday, July 14. The fatal, two-vehicle accident happened on southbound SR 79, south of Gilman Springs Road, according to CHP and Cal Fire officials.
A man was killed and his car was torn in half after a head-on crash on SR-79, south of Gilman Springs Road, Friday, July 15. Miguel Shannon/Epicenter News photo
Emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene of the fatal wreck about 6:13 a.m., after several motorists and witnesses called 911 to report the accident. The impact of the two vehicles left a car, described as a small, red Nissan, barely recognizable.
When they arrived, officials found the two wrecked vehicles in the roadway. Vehicle
“Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighters are on scene of a…traffic collision with one confirmed fatality,” Hagemann said in an incident report after the fatal accident.
Officials called for the closure of southbound SR 79 from Beaumont to the north and Gilman Spring Road to the south. The closure wa expected to remain in affect for several hours while officials investigated the cause of the accident and worked to clear the damaged vehicles from the roadway.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
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John Strangis video
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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor 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 and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with 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 and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
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.
s 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.
We need more people out there to be like Trevor and be foster parents and share there love to foster kids. Thank you Trevor im sure alot of kids thank you also.
Why report in Spanish? This is united stated. Anyone refuses to speak and learn English should be deported BACK TO MEXICO!!
Awesome video. (I especially like the coyote you caught running across the highway at 2:40.) Thanks!
Awesome video of my Dads body being loaded up right.