RivCo motor officer paralyzed after on-duty training accident

Doctors and surgeons treating a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy who was seriously injured during an on-duty motorcycle training exercise last July have determined that in spite of repairs being made to the officer’s spinal cord, he is paralyzed from the waist down and not expected to walk again.

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Deputy Jay Youngblood was hurt Tuesday, July 24, during a training session at a motorcycle training center in San Bernardino County, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Willison explained after the tragic accident. The motor officer was airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital’s trauma center in serious condition after the crash, where surgeons worked desperately to repair his damaged spinal cord.

“Fortunately, LLUMC Physicians were able to repair his spinal cord to allow Deputy Youngblood to sit up eventually; however, tragically he will be paralyzed for the rest of his life from his waist down,” friend Jonathan Smith recently shared in a social media update about Youngblood’s condition.

“Unfortunately, Deputy Youngblood has a long road ahead of him due to this life changing accident,” Smith explained in his Facebook update.

SEE ORIGINAL STORY: Palm Desert sheriff’s motor officer airlifted after on-duty training accident

Youngblood is 30-years-old and has been a deputy with the sheriff’s department for more than five years. He was assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station when the accident occurred. He previously served eight years in the United States Army as Military Police Officer.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Association has established a donation page for those interested in making contributions to help cover Youngblood’s “extensive” medical costs, as well as other expenses. There is no minimum contribution and 100% of the proceeds will go to Deputy Jay Youngblood with no profits made by any organization or platform.

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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.