RIVERSIDE: Driver crashes into sign, fire hydrant, sends flood of water into neighborhood
RIVERSIDE — A suspected drunk driver who lost control of his new SUV crashed into a street sign and fire hydrant sent a geyser of water shooting up into the air, Saturday morning Oct. 14. The early morning accident happened on Indiana Avenue near Sayward Circle and Capitol Drive in Riverside.
City of Riverside Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene of the accident shortly before 3 a.m., when Riverside emergency dispatchers were notified about a solo-vehicle, traffic collision in the city’s La Sierra area.
When officials arrived at the scene, they found a new BMW SUV up on the sidewalk and in a residential front yard after it struck a street sign and sheared a fire hydrant. The unidentified male driver remained at the scene and was found near the wrecked BMW.
The sheared hydrant sent water shooting about 50 feet into the air and quickly sent a river of water rushing onto nearby Capitol Drive.
Officials at the scene requested Riverside Public Utilities respond to the location to shut down water flow to the sheared hydrant. Public Utility officials had the geyser shut down about 45 minutes after the accident was reported.
No injuries were reported, however police officers at the scene said alcohol intoxication was suspected as a contributing factor in the crash. Officers conducted a series of field sobriety tests and later handcuffed the driver and placed him in the back of a patrol vehicle; however, it was not immediately known if the man was arrested.
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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, 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 as well as 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries 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 27 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 14 grandchildren.