LAKE ELSINORE: Elderly driver, 78, dies after head-on collision
LAKE ELSINORE — Officials have identified an elderly Lake Elsinore man who died after a two-vehicle, head-on collision, Tuesday night, July 10. The fatal crash happened on Lake St. near Temescal Canyon Ln. in Lake Elsinore.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s officials later identified Oren Schurter, 78, of Lake Elsinore as the victim who died in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated Schurter succumbed to his injuries about 90 minutes after the crash and he was pronounced deceased at Inland Valley Medical Center’s ER at 9:59 p.m.
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Deputies assigned to Lake Elsinore PD, along with Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters and other emergency first responders, were dispatched to the scene of the deadly wreck just before 8:30 p.m., after receiving reports of a head-on collision involving two vehicles.
When officials arrived they found two wrecked vehicles with major front-end damage. Firefighters quickly determined both drivers and sole occupants from the two vehicles were trapped inside their vehicles and needed to be extricated during a cut and rescue operation. About a dozen firefighters assisted with the rescue.
Both drivers were eventually transported to a local area hospital, where Schurter later succumbed to his injuries.
Based on the circumstances, Lake Elsinore PD’s Traffic Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation to determine the cause of the collision.
During their investigation, TRT members called for the temporary closure of both directions of Lake St. between Temescal Canyon and Nichols Roads. Officials re-opened the roadway about four hours later.
Alcohol is not suspected to be a contributing factor in the fatal crash and Lake Elsinore PD’s investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this collision is encouraged to contact Deputy Petersen of the Lake Elsinore Police Department at (951) 245-3300. Callers can refer to incident file number and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, 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.