Ortega Hwy crash leaves one dead, another injured

LAKE ELSINORE — One driver was killed and another was hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash on the Ortega Highway early Monday morning, Nov. 19. The deadly wreck occurred on the westbound side of SR-74, near the Candy Store, around 4 a.m., according to a California Highway Patrol incident log.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:

Winchester man dead after apparent DUI hit and run

Hemet men take 7-year-old girl along for drive in stolen car

UPDATE: Murrieta Marine Sgt. who saved two women from fiery wreck last Sept. killed in I-15 crash with van, big-rig

Two vehicles were involved in the crash that left the occupants of both cars trapped, according to the CHP.

One person succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene and another was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar with serious injuries, according to Riverside County Fire Department.

The victim’s name has not been released, pending notification of the victim’s family.

The highway remained open during CHP’s crash investigation, which is ongoing.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year 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 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.