Orange motorcyclist, 21, killed in Ortega Hwy crash
LAKE ELSINORE — A motorcyclist was killed in a deadly motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon, April 7. The fatal accident happened on the Ortega Highway, near the Upper San Juan Campground, in an unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore, according to CHP and Cal Fire.
Sunday’s deadly crash was the first of two motorcycle-related fatalities to happen the same day along the popular highway, which connects Riverside and Orange counties. The other fatal collision happened about an hour later, and killed 27-year-old Hemet resident, Zachary Jacobson.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Woman’s body found inside vehicle after Winchester fire
CHP, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, along with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and other emergency personnel, responded to the scene of the crash just after 3 p.m., after receiving reports of a two vehicle accident involving a motorcycle and Dodge Journey. 911 callers reported that the collision sent the motorcycle careening over an embankment and plummeting down a steep mountainside.
When officials arrived, they confirmed the rider and motorcycle tumbled about 200 feet down the embankment. When officials reached the rider, they determined he had already succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
The victim was later identified as 21-year-old, Lam Nguyen, of Orange. A coroner’s release indicated Nguyen was pronounced deceased at 3:23 p.m.
It is unknown if speed, drugs and/or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash, and CHP’s investigation 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.
Pingback: UPDATE: Hemet man, 27, identified after fatal Hwy 74 crash – Riverside County News Source