WHISKEYTOWN: Man killed, 3 teens injured, after car overturns down steep embankment
WHISKEYTOWN — A man died and three teens were injured when a vehicle overturned and plummeted down a steep embankment. The deadly accident happened on Highway 299 near Whiskeytown Lake, last Tuesday night. All four victims were from the Anderson area and alcohol and excessive speed are believed to be contributing factors in the fatal wreck, according to California Highway Patrol. .
Shasta County Coroner officials later identified 36-year-old, Kyle Robert Miller, as the man killed in the crash.
CHP and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the area about 6:40 p.m, after witnesses called 911 to report the accident, according to CHP.
When officials arrived they found a blue, 1999 Chevrolet sedan down an embankment in the area of the Whiskeytown National Recreations Area Visitor Center. Rescuers determined Miller sustained major, traumatic injuries and he was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
Miller’s three teenage passengers – ages 16, 17, and 18 – sustained moderate injuries and were taken by ground ambulances to Mercy Medical Center. Officials have not specified the nature or full extent of the victim’s injuries.
CHP officers investigating the cause of the crash determined Miller was traveling east on Highway 299 toward Redding at a “high rate of speed” just before the fatal rollover.
Based on witness and victim statements, as well as evidence at the scene, officers believe as Miller entered a sweeping left curve in the road he was traveling too fast for the rural highway and lost control of the vehicle, causing the sedan to overturn. The car then rolled down the steep embankment, killing Miller and injuring the three teens.
CHP’s investigation is ongoing and officials have asked that anyone with additional information contact CHP at (530) 225-0500.
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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 several other news organizations, including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook, as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 – soon to be 15 – grandchildren.