HEMET: Pedestrian crossing busy Florida Ave. hit by motorist

January 6, 2018 Trevor Montgomery

HEMET — A man who was reportedly walking down the middle of Florida Avenue in Hemet was struck by a motorist and hospitalized, Saturday afternoon, Jan 6.

Officials move a pedestrian to a waiting ambulance after the man was hit by a motorist on Florida Avenue, Saturday afternoon. Gary Rainwater/Hemet Valley Incidents photo

City of Hemet Police and Fire personnel along with other emergency medical responders were dispatched to the 2200 block of W. Florida Avenue, between Kirby and N. Gilmore Streets, about 2:15 p.m., after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting the vehicle versus pedestrian collision.

When officials arrived at the scene they located a male adult down in the number two lane of eastbound Florida Avenue, across from the Hemet Valley Mall.

Medical personnel found the victim alert and conscious, but in “a tremendous amount of pain,” according to one witness at the scene. American Medical Response medics eventually transported the victim to Hemet Valley Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. His injuries were described as minor to moderate.

After the victim was transported to HVH, officials documented, photographed and then collected a number of the man’s personal items, including a pair of flip flops and black hat. Officials also collected a multi-colored blanket a witness had used while providing aid and comfort to the injured victim as he lay in the roadway prior to paramedics’ arrival.

While firefighters evaluated and treated the man injured in the accident, officers investigated the cause of the collision.

During their investigation, officers interviewed motorists and other witnesses and determined that just prior to the accident, the victim had been “darting in and out of traffic” while walking down the middle of busy Highway 74, known as Florida Avenue within Hemet’s city limits.

Although numerous motorists were able to swerve and avoid the pedestrian, the driver of a westbound, blue Honda was unable to avoid hitting the man.

The Honda that struck the pedestrian sustained minor, front-end damage and the driver was uninjured in the collision. The driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, which is active and ongoing.

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Gary Rainwater/Hemet Valley Incidents photo

Contact the writer: [email protected]

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.