UPDATE: 1 of 4 victims dies after deadly Riverside wreck

RIVERSIDE — Three people were injured, and one victim later died, after a four-vehicle collision in Riverside Wednesday morning, Mar. 6. The deadly crash happened at the intersection of Alessandro Blvd. at Via Vista Dr., and caused Alessandro Blvd. and the intersection to be closed for about seven hours while officials worked at the scene of the crash.

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City of Riverside Police and Fire Departments, along with AMR and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene shortly before 11 a.m., after the City’s Emergency Dispatch Center received several calls reporting a multi-vehicle traffic collision with serious injuries. 911 callers also reported one of the victims was trapped inside a blue pickup.

When officials arrived at the scene they found four wrecked vehicles, described as a white Nissan Titan that sustained major passenger-side damage, a blue Ford Ranger that was completely destroyed and barely recognizable, a grey Infiniti SUV, and a U-Haul box truck towing a flat-bed trailer.

The driver of the Ford Ranger was trapped inside the wreckage of his pickup and firefighters used the “Jaws of Life” to cut their way into the truck so they could extricate and treat the mortally injured driver.

While firefighters worked to free the driver of the Ford, paramedics and AMR medics evaluated and treated the other injured occupants from the four wrecked vehicles.

The most seriously injured of the victims who had been driving the Ford pickup truck was eventually extricated from his wrecked truck and rushed to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff. He has only been described as a 65-year-old, Yucaipa resident, and has not yet been publicly identified, pending further investigation and notification of his family.

The drivers of the Infiniti, a 35-year-old, Riverside resident, and Nissan, a 33-year-old, Riverside resident, were also hospitalized. Their injuries were described as minor and moderate, respectively. The driver of the U-Haul truck, a 65-year-old resident of San Marcos, was uninjured in the collision and declined further medical treatment.

Based on the circumstances, Riverside PD’s Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

During their initial, on-scene investigation, MAIT officers determined that just before the accident the Nissan was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Alessandro Blvd., just north of Via Vista Dr. As the Nissan neared the intersection, the driver lost control of the truck and it fishtailed and began to slide sideways.

The Nissan careened across the center divider into the northbound lanes of Alessandro Blvd., where it first struck the Ford and then the other two vehicles, which had all been traveling northbound just before the crash.

One area resident who witnessed the deadly collision but requested to remain anonymous, later told RCNS that he was directly behind the Nissan just before the accident.

“He was driving recklessly and speeding as we approached the curve just before (Via) Vista,” the witness explained. “He lost control just as he reached the intersection, crossed into oncoming traffic and plowed into the other vehicles.”

The tremendous impact between the two pickups “was so hard it caused both vehicles to come off the ground,” the witness described, saying, “It was just awful…truly horrific.”

While MAIT officers and other officials worked at the scene they called for the temporary closure of Alessandro in both directions. During the road closure all traffic was diverted through Canyon Crest.

Riverside PD updated that the roadway was reopened about seven hours later around 6 p.m.

Officials have not yet said if alcohol or drug intoxication were believed to be contributing factors in the deadly wreck, and their investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this collision or who witnessed the crash is urged to contact Riverside Police Traffic Detective B. Jones at (951) 826-8722 or by email.

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.