Fearful of looters, Hemet resident stays after car hits home

HEMET — Officials are investigating the cause of a solo-vehicle crash after a motorist lost control of their vehicle on a residential street and plowed into the corner of a duplex, early yesterday evening, June 29. Saturday’s crash happened in the area of W. Central and S. Simpson avenues.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:

No injuries reported after Hemet rollover

Hemet home intruder fatally shot by armed family member

No injuries after car plows through wall into Murrieta back yard

City of Hemet Police and Fire Departments, along with other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the location shortly before 7:30 p.m., after receiving multiple reports of a vehicle that crashed into a home.

When officials arrived at the scene they found a black Chevy Malibu that had crashed into the corner of an occupied duplex, and ended up partway inside the home’s kitchen.

Upon closer inspection, firefighters found the impact from the sedan hitting the home had pushed the kitchen’s stove away from the wall and caused minor structural damage to the home.  Based on the damage, firefighters were forced to temporarily shut off utilities to the home.

Although a City building inspector later reportedly suggested the home should temporarily be vacated while repairs could be made and Red Cross services were offered to the resident of the home, the man elected to remain, explaining he was afraid to leave his home unoccupied due to potential looters and squatters.

No injuries were reported and Hemet PD’s accident investigation is ongoing.

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Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents photos

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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.