HEMET: Woman sustains minor injuries after single-vehicle rollover
HEMET — A woman had to be cut free from a vehicle that overturned after leaving the road and clipping a large tree, Sunday night, Jan. 14. The accident happened just north of the intersection of N. Palm and W. Fruitvale Avenues in Hemet.
Officials used the “Jaws of Life” to extricate an injured woman from a Cadillac after she crash into a tree, causing the vehicle to overturn. Hemet Valley Incidents photo
City of Hemet Fire and Police personnel and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene of the accident about 7:15 p.m., after receiving several 911 calls from other motorists and witnesses.
When they arrived at the scene officials found a red Cadillac sedan on its driver’s side and quickly determined a woman and sole occupant from the car was trapped and unable to exit the car.
Officials called for additional resources and prepared to perform a cut and rescue operation to free the trapped driver. Firefighters then stabilized the vehicle and used the “Jaws of Life” to cut the roof away from the overturned Cadillac in order to extricate the driver.
After she was freed from the car, paramedics evaluated and treated the woman for minor injuries. She declined further treatment at the scene and was not transported.
While officials worked to free the victim they called for the temporary closure of Palm Avenue. The roadway was re-opened after officials finished the rescue and cleared the scene.
Witness later said the driver had been slowly traveling northbound on Palm before she suddenly sped up, veered to the right and struck the tree, causing the vehicle to overturn and land on its side.
The accident is still being investigated by Hemet PD.
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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.