Two riders airlifted after major Hwy 74 motorcycle wreck

ORTEGA HIGHWAY — Two motorcyclists were seriously injured and airlifted after being involved in a two-vehicle wreck on the Ortega Highway, between Riverside and Orange counties this morning, Sunday, March 17. The crash happened along a particularly winding section in the 34000 block of Hwy 74, just west of Ortega Falls, according to a CHP incident log and Cal Fire officials.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:

Massive Hemet fire, countless explosions, rock area residents

Fiery Cajalco wreck leaves three dead, one seriously injured

Couple arrested in death of Menifee infant

CHP and other emergency personnel were dispatched the scene shortly after 10 a.m., after receiving reports of two motorcycle riders who had crashed and were down in the roadway. 911 callers reported both directions of travel were blocked and that traffic was at a standstill, due to the two wrecked motorcycles and debris spread along the winding, two-lane mountain highway.

When officials arrived they found a chaotic scene with other motorists and good Samaritans who had stopped and were trying to provide aid and comfort to the two seriously injured riders.

Based on the victims’ injuries, officials at the scene requested two Reach Air Ambulances to the scene to airlift the injured riders to area hospitals.

Due to the heavy traffic, which was backed all the way down the Ortega Highway into Orange County, officials issued a SigAlert around 11 a.m.

SEE RELATED: LAKE ELSINORE: Popular “motovlogger” dies riding Ortega Highway

Contacted for more information, CHP updated that the roadway had been cleared around 11:30 a.m., and traffic was beginning to move past the scene of the crash.

As of this report, officials remain at the scene and their investigation into the cause of the wreck is active and 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.

tagged with , , , ,