UPDATED: NUEVO: 18-year-old, San Jacinto victim killed in fiery crash between car, big-rig identified
UPDATE: Aug. 20, 12:30 p.m.
NUEVO — Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s officials have identified the victim killed in a fiery wreck between a small, two-door Honda and a big-rig, Friday, Aug. 18. According to a coroner’s release, Jarred Taverney, 18, of San Jacinto was injured at 6:20 p.m. He was pronounced dead minutes later, at 6:36 p.m., when officials arrived at the scene of the fiery wreck.
NUEVO — Details are still emerging after one driver died and another sustained “major injuries” in a fiery wreck between a car and a tractor-trailer, semi-truck. The deadly accident happened on Ramona Expressway between Bridge Street and Davis Road in the unincorporated community of Lakeview, west of the northern end of San Jacinto.
The driver of a small sedan was killed in a fiery wreck when the victim pulled directly into the path of an oncoming big-rig. Miguel Shannon/Epicenter News photo
California Highway Patrol, San Jacinto Police Department, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the fiery wreck at 6:22 p.m., after Riverside County and CHP emergency dispatchers were flooded with 911 calls from other motorists and witnesses reporting the collision.
According to a CHP log, callers told dispatchers the car and big-rig collided after the driver of the car pulled directly in front of the oncoming semi-truck. Callers also told dispatchers the front of the semi-truck was fully engulfed in flames and that the driver of the car was still inside the mangled wreckage of the sedan.
Nine firefighters from three engine companies responded to the fatal accident, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County fire Public Information Officer April Newman.
When officials arrived at the scene, they found the big-rig still engulfed in flames, with vehicle parts and debris blocking all lanes of traffic on the Expressway. Firefighters quickly confirmed one victim, the driver of the car – who has not yet been identified – had already perished at the scene.
The driver of the truck was transported to Riverside University Health Systems trauma center with major injuries. The nature and full extent of the truck driver’s injuries are not yet known.
Officials have called for the full, temporary closure of Ramona Expressway, between Bridge Street Street and Davis Avenue; while firefighters extinguish the burning vehicles and CHP conducts an investigation into the cause of the fatal crash.
The Expressway is expected to remain closed for an extended period, until the roadway is cleared and the initial traffic collision investigation has been completed.
This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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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, The Valley Chronicle 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 13 – soon to be 14 – grandchildren.
Dear Mr. Montgomery; I am a friend of the young man, Jared, that as killed in the Ramona Collision with the Truck a few nights ago. In thoroughly looking at the pictures posted I have a few questions:
1- Apparently Jared was driving in the wrong lane, which was a NO PASSING lane. The accident occurred on FLATLAND, not a hill or curve. Is that correct ??
2- Was Jared trying to PASS other cars, and if so, what happened to the other vehicles??
3- The pictures reflect the front tires being torn off of the car or truck. Which vehicle was the tires from??
4- There are no picture of the FRONT of the truck. Was the Cab of the truck severed from the body of the truck??
5- Did witnesses say that Jared was SPEEDING, or just unable to get back into the correct lane ??
6- Are there a lot of accidents on this particular part of the road ??
I would like to send a GET WELL card to the driver of the truck, as my prayers are with him. Is this possible ??
Deneen K Berry
[email protected]
Deneen,
Many of the questions you asked I cannot answer, but from what I understand the 18-year-old victim was running late and on his way to work. According to his mother he did not want to get in trouble for being late to work. As for whether or not he was speeding, attempting to pass or driving recklessly, I cannot say. But from what his mother told me, he was attempting to make a left turn when the accident occurred.
As for the truck, it – like the victim’s car – was completely destroyed in the wreck. It burst into flames upon impact and there was very little left that was recognizable after the accident.
Regarding that area being known for accidents, I would have to say there have been many serious and fatal accidents along Ramona Expressway, but I cannot say there are an unusually high number of crashes in that particular area.
As I was not there, I do not have any further information, other than what I recorded from the CHP’s live-incident log and what CHP released after the accident. I wish I could provide more information; however, that is all I know at this time.
-TM