Hit and run driver flees after critically injuring MV teen

MORENO VALLEY — A teen suffered severe head trauma and is in critical condition after a hit and run in Moreno Valley early Saturday evening, Feb. 16. The driver who hit the boy did not stop to render aid and left the critically injured victim in the roadway after the accident, which happened in the 22600 block of Cottonwood Ave., between Elsworth and Frederick streets.

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Moreno Valley Police and Fire Departments, along with other emergency personnel, responded to the accident just after 6:30 p.m., after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision involving a vehicle and juvenile pedestrian, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian De Marco later explained.

Officials began arriving within minutes of the dispatched call and found a 14-year-old boy who had been struck by a vehicle.

“The juvenile suffered severe head trauma and was transported to a local hospital for treatment,” De Marco explained. He remains hospitalized in critical condition and has reportedly already undergone at least one life-saving surgery, with other surgeries planned.  

Based on the circumstances, members of Moreno Valley PD’s Traffic Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the hit and run investigation. As part of their investigation officials are combing through Moreno Valley’s city-wide camera system, hoping to find clues as to who struck the victim and left him for dead in the roadway.

According to DeMarco, the vehicle that struck the victim fled the scene was described as a “gray-colored sport utility vehicle.”

 During their investigation, officials called for the temporary closure of Cottonwood Ave., between Elsworth and Vaught streets. The road was reopened several hours later, around 9:15 p.m. 

Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact the Moreno Valley Traffic Division at (951) 486-6700. Callers can refer to incident file number MV190470238 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form. Persons who wish to report criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous can call crime stoppers at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463) or 800-47-DRUGS (800-473-7847).

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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.