MORENO VALLEY: Off-road dirt bike rider killed in accident off Gilman Springs Road
MORENO VALLEY — Family and friends are mourning the tragic loss of an off-road motorcycle enthusiast after a man was thrown from a dirt bike earlier this afternoon. Officials are now trying to determine what led to the deadly crash that happened in the area of Big Nash and Sutherland Canyon Roads, about one half mile west of Quail Ranch Golf Course, off Gilman Springs Road.
Friends of a man killed when he was thrown from an off road motorcycle quietly discuss the death of their friend. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
Emergency first responders were dispatched to the canyon about 5:30 p.m., after friends of the victim called 911 to report that a member of their group had crashed while riding down a rugged dirt trail, east of Gilman Springs Road.
A Sheriff’s aviation crew was first to arrive at the scene about fifteen minutes later and the helicopter crew helped guide responding deputies and other emergency personnel to the location.
Deputies subsequently confirmed that a man sustained fatal injuries after he was thrown from the motorcycle he was riding. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene and CHP was summoned to handle the crash investigation.
Friends of the victim told investigating officials the man was riding down the steep and rutted dirt trail when he lost control and was ejected off his motorcycle. When the rider was thrown from his bike, his helmet flew off and the rider sustained fatal traumatic injuries when he hit the ground.
Officials have not released the victim’s name or any other details, pending notification of the man’s family. While waiting for coroner’s officials to arrive CHP conducted their initial accident investigation, which is active and ongoing.
Coroner’s officials later became lost in the hills searching for the accident scene and had to request help finding their way to the correct location, arriving several hours after the fatal accident was reported.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video
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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.
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.