CHP investigating hit and run after car sparks Burney vegetation fire

BURNEY — Authorities are searching for a driver who may have left the scene of a vehicle accident that sparked a car fire earlier this evening, Friday, Sept. 7. The vehicle blaze quickly spread to nearby vegetation, according to a CHP incident log. The single vehicle accident happened in the area of Jack Rabbit Flat and SR-299.

The highway, normally a pleasant drive connecting the city of Redding and town of Burney, as well as other Intermountain communities, has been experiencing bumper to bumper traffic and sometimes hours-long delays since the Delta Fire caused all I-5 traffic to be diverted onto rural, mountain highways 89, 299, and 44.

In addition to lengthy delays caused by all the extra commuter traffic, a head-on collision yesterday morning between an elderly couple in a passenger sedan and big-rig caused Hwy. 299 to be closed for several hours, while emergency crews worked at the scene to treat the victims, one of whom was airlifted from the scene.

Some 911 callers reported that a road rage incident may have preceded the crash, but CHP is still investigating the wreck and its cause.

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This evening’s investigation began shortly after 6 p.m., when deputies assigned to Shasta County Sheriff’s Burney Patrol Station notified SHASCOM they were on scene of a vehicle fire that had begun to spread to nearby vegetation. Deputies requested CHP, Burney Fire Protection District, and additional resources to the scene.

Firefighters made quick work knocking down the fire, which they quickly extinguished.

CHP’s incident log indicated officials determined the fire had possibly erupted after a vehicle struck a stump and became disabled about halfway between Sierra Pacific Industries and Pit River Casino.

At 7:40 p.m., CHP’s log indicated an area tow company was headed to the scene to remove the burnt-out vehicle.

Although CHP has not released any information regarding their crash investigation, their online log indicated the call was being investigated as a hit and run without injuries.

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Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of 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 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 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.