Menifee woman, 71, ID’d after ejected in I-215 rollover

PERRIS — An elderly Menifee woman died when her SUV overturned while traveling on I-215, just north of lower SR-74 near Perris, yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, May 15.

According to CHP, the victim lost control of her SUV causing it to overturn and roll off the freeway and through a fence. The woman, who was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, was ejected from her SUV; causing her to suffer fatal injuries.

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Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified 71-year-old Delfina Corona Salinas as the victim killed in the single-vehicle rollover crash. A coroner’s release indicated she passed away at the scene of the accident and was pronounced deceased at 4:08 p.m.

CHP, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, and AMR were dispatched to the crash about 3:52 p.m., CHP Officer and spokesperson Mike Lassig later reported.

When officials arrived at the scene they determined Salinas suffered fatal injuries when she was ejected from her overturning vehicle. Despite life-saving efforts, within minutes of their arrival medical personnel at the scene pronounced the victim deceased.

During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined Salinas had been driving a 2002 Ford Explorer northbound on I-215’s slow lane at an undetermined speed just before the crash.

“For unknown reasons, the Ford Explorer drifted to the right and continued onto the dirt portion of the right shoulder area,” Lassig explained. “The female driver was unable to maintain control of the Ford Explorer, causing it to roll over in a northeasterly direction, colliding into a chain link fence before coming to a stop.”

“The female driver was not wearing her seat belt, which resulted with her being ejected from the Ford Explorer and sustaining fatal injuries,” said Lassig.

No other vehicles were involved in yesterday’s deadly accident, which did not affect any lanes of travel or cause any lane closures or significant delays in travel times.

SEE SIMILAR: Woman ejected, fatally crushed, after truck rolls off SR-60

Yesterday’s fatal rollover crash was eerily similar to another fatal rollover involving an unrestrained driver that happened last Wednesday, May 8. In that solo-vehicle crash, which happened on SR-60 near Jack Rabbit Trail, Michelle Hector-Batson, 60, of Desert Hot Springs, was partially ejected and crushed by her Ford pickup truck.

CHP’s investigation is ongoing and officers have asked that anyone who witnessed the crash and has not yet provided a statement to contact CHP’s Temecula Area office at (951) 506-2000. Callers can refer to incident file number 0515191552968515957 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.

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