“High speed” reported after head-on, rollover crash near San Jacinto

SAN JACINTO — Officials remain at the scene of a head-on, major injury traffic collision involving three vehicles that happened on the northern outskirts of San Jacinto earlier today, Tuesday, Oct. 8. One of the involved vehicles overturned into a field adjacent SR-79, near Gilman Springs Rd., where the accident occurred.

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CHP and other area emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash around 3:45 p.m., after receiving reports of a crash possibly involving three vehicles. At least two 911 callers reported one of the involved vehicles was traveling at high speed just before the head-on, rollover collision.

According to a CHP incident log, at least two 911 callers reported one of the vehicles involved in today’s crash was traveling at high speed just before the rollover collision. Will Whelan/Hemet Valley Incidents photo

When officials arrived they found a heavily-damaged white Acura MDX SUV in the middle of the roadway and a light blue pickup truck that had overturned into a field. No information about the third vehicle was immediately available.

According to a CHP incident log, traffic quickly backed up to the 79 off-ramp and area motorists soon began reporting lengthy delays in their travel times.

At around 4:30 p.m., while CHP was continuing to work at the scene and investigate the cause of the crash, officials had to request Cal Fire return back to the location, after one of the vehicles caught fire. A few minutes later they cancelled Cal Fire’s response and reported that the fire had been extinguished by one of the tow companies that had responded to remove the wrecked vehicles.

One of the vehicle’s involved in today’s crash overturned into a field adjacent the roadway. Will Whelan/Hemet Valley Incidents photo

Although it was not immediately known how many people were injured in today’s crash, CHP’s incident log indicated the accident resulted in major injuries.

As of this report, CHP and other officials remain at the scene of the crash and their accident investigation is active and ongoing.

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Trevor Montgomery, 48, 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 or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; 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 29 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.