Corona teen killed, another injured, after SR-91 crash into parked big-rig
UPDATED: May 7, 10:45 a.m., With coroner’s release of information.
CORONA –Officials have identified a 17-year-old Corona resident who died after an SUV he was a passenger in plowed into the back of a parked tractor-trailer big-rig while traveling on the 91 Freeway, just west of Green River Rd. The 18-year-old driver of the involved SUV was hospitalized with serious chest, knee, and eye injuries, CHP reported after the Thursday evening, May 2 crash.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Riverside man, 33, fatally ejected in fiery wreck with big-rig
CHP and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the deadly crash around 10:25 p.m., after 911 callers reported that an SUV had smashed into the back of a broken down semi-truck, which officials later reported had been broken down and stopped out of the lanes of travel along the right shoulder of the freeway. According to CHP, the tractor-trailer combo had its emergency flashers activated and had multiple reflective orange warning triangles set up behind it to warn other drivers.
When officials arrived, they found a heavily damaged 2009 Dodge Journey that had overturned after plowing into the parked big-rig. The driver of the tractor-trailer combo was uninjured in the collision. He remained at the scene of the crash and was cooperating with CHP’s investigation.
Despite life-saving efforts, the 17-year-old passenger of the Dodge, later identified as Juan Anaya, of Corona, succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene. A coroner’s release later indicated he was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at 10:51 p.m.
The 18-year-old driver of the Dodge was rushed to an area trauma center with moderate injuries, according to CHP Sgt. Erick Helvie.
While CHP investigated the fatal collision, they called for the temporary partial closure of eastbound lanes of traffic, just west of Green River Rd. The freeway was re-opened at the conclusion of CHP’s initial on-scene investigation.
Anyone with additional information or who may have seen the crash and not yet provided a witness statement is encouraged to contact CHP’s Riverside office at (951) 637-8000. Callers can refer to incident file number 01583 and can remain anonymous.
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.