Three seriously injured after Nuevo head-on wreck
NUEVO — Three people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle, head-on traffic collision in the unincorporated Nuevo area this morning, Saturday, April 13. The major injury crash, which left some of the occupants trapped inside their wrecked vehicles, happened on Ramona Expressway, just west of Bridge St.
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CHP and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, along with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the crash around 6:52 a.m., after receiving reports of the collision. 911 callers reported three people were seriously injured and trapped inside their wrecked vehicles.
When officials arrived in the area they found two heavily damaged vehicles, which were described as a grey Kia minivan and green Toyota SUV. A third vehicle was also involved, after hitting debris in the roadway. Vehicle parts and debris were spread across several hundred yards of the roadway, which was left blocked and impassable.
Several witnesses and good Samaritans were stopped at the scene, providing aid and comfort to those injured in the crash.
Firefighters work at the scene of this morning’s crash, which seriously injured three people. Miguel Shannon/OC Hawk News photo
Firefighters immediately began extricating the injured occupants from their vehicles, while CHP called for the temporary full closure of Ramona Expressway, between Bridge St. and Hansen Ave.
About thirty minutes later Cal Fire updated that they had extricated three victims from the two wrecked vehicles, and that all three were taken to area hospitals in serious condition. Their injuries were later described by officials as moderate to major.
One of those who stopped, Bryan McKinney – who is a firefighter/EMT at March Field Fire Emergency – later spoke with RCNS about what he had seen in the immediate aftermath of the crash. McKinney said he did not witness the actual collision, but was one of the first to stop at the scene to offer help.
“I was assisting with one of the persons trapped in their vehicle,” McKinney explained. “She had two compound fractures but her injuries did not show signs of anything life-threatening.”
“Cal Fire handled the crash quickly and efficiently,” said McKinney. “I was just glad I could be there to help.”
CHP is still investigating the cause of this morning’s crash, but they do not believe alcohol or drugs played a part in the crash. Their investigation is ongoing.
As of this report, emergency personnel remain at the scene and Ramona Expressway is still closed to through traffic.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.
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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.
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