UPDATED: New details after Mountain Center man, 76, killed in Hwy 74 motorcycle wreck

UPDATED: Monday, Mar. 26, 2 a.m.

MOUNTAIN CENTER — Officials have released some additional details regarding the victim killed last Friday evening, Mar. 24. The deadly crash happened along westbound Highway 74 just east of Scenic Drive, in the Pinyon Pines area of Mountain Center.

In a partial coroner’s release, Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s officials identified the victim killed in the crash as a 76-year-old Mountain Center resident. The man died after being airlifted to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. He was pronounced deceased by hospital staff at 11:12 p.m.

The man’s name has not been released, pending notification of his family. The time of his crash and fatal injuries was listed as unknown and is part of CHP’s ongoing investigation.

Officers from CHP’s San Gorgonio Pass Area Station are investigating the accident and their investigation is active and ongoing. Both CHP and Cal Fire officials are expected to provide details regarding the fatal crash at a later time.

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

 

ORIGINAL STORY: BREAKING: MOUNTAIN CENTER: Motorcyclist killed in Hwy 74 wreck

MOUNTAIN CENTER — Details are beginning to emerge regarding a motorcyclist who died after being involved in an accident on Highway 74. The fatal crash happened just east of Scenic Drive in the Pinyon Pines area of Mountain Center, according to a CHP Incident Log.

The fatal motorcycle crash is one of two major accidents being investigated by area law enforcement officers tonight. The accidents happened in neighboring communities almost exactly one hour apart.

The other accident involved two vehicles, one of which overturned and ejected one of the passengers. That crash happened on Ramona Expressway/Mountain Avenue between N. Soboba and N. Hemet Streets.

Early and unconfirmed reports from the scene indicated one person may have died after being extricated from one of the two wrecked vehicles; however, that has not yet been confirmed as fact. At least three others were reportedly injured in the rollover collision.

SEE ALSO: BREAKING: HEMET: One ejected, 3 others injured after 2-vehicle rollover wreck

CHP, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the area shortly before 9:30 p.m., after emergency dispatchers were notified regarding a motorcycle rider down on the Pines to Palms Highway, east of Cal Fire’s Pinyon Fire Station. It was not yet known if the person who reported the rider down was involved in a collision with the rider or happened to find the rider already down in the roadway.

When officials arrived at the scene they found a motorcyclist who had suffered major traumatic injuries. It was not immediately known if any other vehicles were involved in the deadly crash or what type of motorcycle was involved in the crash.

Officials at the scene eventually called for a life-flight helicopter to respond to a landing zone set up on Pinon Flats Transfer Station Road between Highway 74 and Pidgeon Springs Road, but it was not known if the critically injured motorcycle rider was ever loaded onto the chopper.

Shortly before 11:45 p.m., CHP’s Incident Log updated that the motorcycle rider had died and no further information was updated.

Officers from CHP’s San Gorgonio Pass Area Station are investigating the accident and their investigation is active and ongoing. Both CHP and Cal Fire officials are expected to provide details regarding the fatal crash at a later time.

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

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and 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.