RIVERSIDE: Four displaced after alleged drunk driver crashes SUV into home

RIVERSIDE — Four people were displaced after an allegedly intoxicated man crashed into their home, Saturday evening, Jan. 6. The DUI-related crash happened on the 6000 block of Brockton Avenue, at the intersection of Jurupa Avenue, in Riverside.

After an investigation, officers arrested 25-year-old, Brian Eugene Ware. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and DUI resulting in injuries.

City of Riverside Police and Fire personnel and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene of the crash about 8 p.m., after receiving several 911 calls from people reporting the accident.

Callers told emergency dispatchers that three people were trapped inside the mangled wreck of the SUV, Riverside Fire Department spokesperson Todd Gooch explained in an incident report.

When officials arrived at the scene they found a vehicle, described as a light-colored Dodge Durango, that had failed to stop for a red light and crashed at high-speed into a home at the southwest corner of the intersection, across the street from the First Christian Church and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Firefighters quickly learned the driver and two passengers had already managed to get out of the SUV that crashed into the home. According to witnesses at the scene, an unidentified fourth person fled from the SUV after the wreck. The person who fled was not immediately identified.

Officials also located four residents who had been inside the home when the SUV plowed into it. None of the four were injured, according to Gooch.

The driver and other two passengers from the Dodge were evaluated at the scene and eventually transported to area hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Officials described their injuries as moderate.

While medical personnel evaluated and treated those injured in the crash, officers investigated the cause of the wreck.

During their investigation, officers determined the Dodge had been travelling southwest on Brockton Avenue and failed to stop for a red light at the intersection.

Officers located a long set of locked-wheel skid marks that began before the intersection and continued through the intersection, over a curb and through the home’s front yard – leading to the wrecked SUV.

Evidence at the scene indicated that just before the Dodge slammed into a corner of the home, it narrowly missed hitting two concrete traffic signal and street light poles as well as two large trees.

The kitchen and exterior of the residence sustained moderate damage. Because of the damage to the home, fire officials summoned the City’s Senior Building Inspector to the scene to check on the structural integrity of the home. Before clearing the scene officials shut off and secured the home’s utilities.

Pending the Building Inspector’s evaluation, the owner of the house made arrangements for the four residents to stay at a hotel for the remainder of the evening.

An online jail record search revealed Ware was released from custody without being charged Jan. 10, pending further investigation.

Riverside PD’s investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about this investigation or who witnessed the crash is encouraged to contact Riverside PD at (951) 826-5700. Callers can refer to incident file number P18-003686 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.