Stuck in heavy traffic, man needing to urinate dies in Eastvale after falling from freeway bridge

EASTVALE — A man is dead after falling from an Eastvale freeway overpass late Saturday evening, Sept. 15. The freak accident happened on the 15 Freeway at the Santa Ana River bridge, just south of Silverlakes Sports Complex.

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California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire, and American Medical Response, responded to the scene after receiving reports of a man who fell from a bridge over the Santa Ana River on the 15 Freeway.

When officials arrived at the scene they found a man who had fallen about 40 feet to the river bottom and sustained major traumatic injuries. Despite life-saving efforts, the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

During their investigation, CHP interviewed other people who had been inside the vehicle with the victim as well as numerous others who had witnessed to the man’s fatal fall.

CHP Sgt. Bryan Arendt later explained from the scene that the bizarre accident happened when a vehicle became stuck in heavy traffic caused by a full freeway closure for road construction.

According to Arendt, the victim was a passenger in a northbound vehicle on the freeway. When the vehicle became stuck in heavy traffic, the man exited the vehicle he had been in and stepped over a concrete K-rail, not realizing it was a 40 foot drop. As the man climbed over the K-rail he fell to his death.

Officials have not yet released the victim’s identity, pending further investigation and notification of the man’s family.

CHP is investigating the deadly accident and their investigation is ongoing.

Visit Loudlabs News to see 24 photos from this accident.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

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.