CANYON LAKE: DUI suspected in fatal, 3-vehicle crash

CANYON LAKE — Officials believe drug intoxication was a contributing factor in a three-vehicle traffic collision that killed a driver within the gated community of Canyon Lake, early Thursday morning, Dec. 21. The fatal accident happened in the area of Vacation Drive and Yosemite Place, along a sweeping “S” curve north of Bass Cove and east of Mariners Bay.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Canyon Lake and Menifee Police Stations along with other emergency first responders were dispatched to the multi-vehicle collision at 6:50 a.m., Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Lamb explained in a written press release.

Deputies and Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters arrived on scene within minutes and found three vehicles that had been involved in the crash.

Three people were eventually transported to a local hospital, according to Lamb, who described one person’s injuries as major and two others as minor.

“One of the drivers, a 29-year-old Canyon Lake resident, was later pronounced deceased at the hospital,” said Lamb.

Officials have not released the victim’s name, pending notification of their family.

Members from the Perris Station’s Traffic Team who investigated the cause of the crash determined one of the three involved vehicles was traveling westbound on Vacation Drive and veered into the eastbound lanes of traffic, striking another oncoming vehicle head-on.

“At this time, drugs appear to be a factor in the collision,” said Lamb, who did not specify if the person suspected of driving under the influence was the person killed in the crash or one of the other drivers was suspected of driving under the influence.

Anyone with information about this incident or who witnessed the fatal collision is urged to contact Officer Fraley of the Perris Station Traffic Team at (951) 210-1000. Callers can refer to incident file number CN173550002 and can remain anonymous.

 

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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.