MEAD VALLEY: Solo-vehicle crash leads to suspicious death investigation

MEAD VALLEY — Authorities are investigating what they are calling a suspicious death after they determined a 48-year-old Nuevo resident who appeared to have died in a vehicle crash earlier this morning actually died from injuries not related to the accident.

California Highway Patrol initially responded to reports of a single-vehicle traffic collision at the intersection of Cajalco Road and Harvill Road in Mead Valley. When they arrived at the scene at 5:45 a.m., officers determined the driver was deceased.

Based on their observations and initial findings, CHP requested deputies to the scene to take over the investigation and based on the circumstances, detectives assigned to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Perris Station eventually assumed the investigation.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s officials later identified Alvin Clark as the deceased victim and according to a coroner’s release, Clark had already succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by CHP when they found the man’s lifeless body. The release listed the date and time of Clark’s death as unknown, pending further investigation.

During their initial investigation, detectives located evidence that Clark had succumbed to “an injury” while behind the wheel of his vehicle, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Curt Harris explained after the investigation was underway.

According to Harris, investigators also collected and are working to analyze video surveillance from nearby businesses including a Jack In The Box and Arco AM/PM Travel Zone.

The intersection was closed for several hours and traffic was re-directed to protect the potential crime scene and the roadway was re-opened around noon.

There were no other reported injuries and no property damaged related to the crash and the Sheriff’s investigating is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Dave Tinker at the Perris Station at (951) 210-1000 or by email. Callers can refer to incident file number C180660007 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

This is a developing story that will be updated as information becomes available.

 

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.