Victim, 31, found dead on San Jacinto roadway ID’d

November 5, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2:51 p.m.

Correction: Initial reports indicated this accident happened in Hemet, but the accident was later determined to have happened just over the Hemet city line, within San Jacinto city limits.

See Original Story below.

SAN JACINTO — Officials have identified a Hemet man who was fatally struck by a pickup truck sometime before his lifeless body was found early Tuesday morning, Nov. 5. The victim’s body was found near the middle of Park Ave., between English Dr. and N. Meridian St.

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Deputies from the San Jacinto and Hemet Sheriff Stations, along with Hemet Police and Fire Departments and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene about 12:35 a.m., after receiving reports of a body found in the roadway, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan De Loss later reported.

When officials arrived they found the body of a person in the eastbound lane of the roadway. The victim’s personal belongings, including a pair of shoes the person was knocked out of, were strewn across the roadway.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials later identified Danny Ruvalcaba, 31, of Hemet, as the man killed in the collision. A coroner’s release listed Ruvalcaba’s time of injury as unknown.

Based on the circumstances, members of the San Jacinto Station’s Collision Reconstruction Team responded and assumed the investigation.

“The preliminary investigation revealed a full size Chevrolet pickup truck was traveling east on Park Ave. and struck the male in the eastbound lane,” De Loss later reported; saying, “The driver of the truck has been identified and interviewed.”

De Loss did not specify if the investigation was being handled as a hit and run or what, if any, charges the driver who struck Ruvalcaba was facing.

The sheriff’s investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Deputy Cox at the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I193090004 and can remain anonymous.

Original Story: Officials investigating after body found on Hemet roadway

HEMET — Officials are investigating the death of a person whose lifeless body was found in Hemet early this morning, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Although officials have said they are still working to determine the cause of the victim’s death, which happened on Park Ave. between English Dr. and N. Meridian St., evidence at the scene indicated the person was possibly run over and left in the roadway.

Deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station, along with Hemet Police and Fire Departments and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene at 12:35 a.m., after receiving reports of a body found in the roadway, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a social media release.

When officials arrived they found the body of a person near the middle of the roadway. The victim’s personal belongings, including a pair of shoes the person was knocked out of, were strewn across the roadway and officials later collected the items, as well as other potential evidence from the scene.

Although the incident appears to have been a hit and run according to witnesses, officials at the scene reported it was too early in their investigation to determine if the incident that caused the victim’s death was related to an automobile versus pedestrian collision or if something else led to the person’s passing.

“The cause of death & investigation remain ongoing,” sheriff’s officials later wrote in their release.

During their investigation officials called for the temporary closure of Park Ave., between English Dr. and N. Meridian St. The road remained closed for several hours while officials worked at the scene.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

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Sergio Rodriguez/Hemet Valley Incidents photos

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

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.