Driver fatally ejected in Cottonwood DUI crash

COTTONWOOD — A suspected DUI-related crash in Cottonwood left one driver dead after being ejected from their pickup truck early Sunday morning, Dec. 9. The fatal crash, which caused minor injuries to the alleged drunk driver who was later booked into jail, happened at the S. Main St. exit of Interstate 5, according to California Highway Patrol.

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CHP and other emergency personnel were first alerted to the accident shortly before 3 a.m., after receiving reports of a two-vehicle crash on the off ramp. 911 callers reported one of the involved drivers had been ejected from their vehicle when it was struck from behind by another car.

When officials arrived they found two wrecked vehicles, described as a 2012 Mazda and 1986 Toyota pickup truck. The driver of the truck had been ejected had sustained major traumatic injuries after their was hit from behind and slammed into a guardrail .

The victim, who has only been identified as being from Whitmore pending notification of their family, succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to CHP.

The driver of the Mazda, later identified as Jacob Dahlem, 22, of Fresno, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and later arrested and booked into Shasta County Jail.

Officers who investigated the cause of the crash determined Dahlem was traveling southbound on I-5 when he exited at S. Main St. at a high rate of speed. Because of his excessive speed, Dahlem was unable to negotiate the off ramp and he plowed into the back of the Toyota, causing it to crash into the guardrail, fatally ejecting its driver, who had not been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

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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.