Hemet man, 51, killed in crash with big-rig ID’d

NUEVO — Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly head-on crash  between a tractor-trailer combo and pickup truck that killed a Hemet resident Tuesday evening, Nov. 10. The fatal accident, which sent the big-rig driver to the hospital with minor injuries, happened on Ramona Expressway, west of Lakeview Ave., in Nuevo.

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CHP and other emergency personnel were first alerted to the crash shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to CHP and Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department officials.

When officials arrived they found two heavily-damaged vehicles blocking the roadway. The vehicles were described as a white and blue Walgreens big-rig and a dark colored pickup. Vehicle parts and debris were scattered across the roadway, leaving both directions of travel blocked and impassable.

Officials survey the damage caused when a pickup truck and big-rig plowed head-on into each other in Nuevo Tuesday evening. RVC News photos

Paramedics immediately began evaluating the two drivers involved in the collision and determined the driver of the pickup had already succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials later identified Anthony Armenta, 51, of Hemet, as the man killed in the crash. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 9:42 p.m.

The driver of the semi was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and was later released.

While officials worked at the scene they called for the temporary closure of Ramona Expressway, between Rider St. and Lakeview Ave. CHP later said the roadway was closed for about three hours before it was re-opened.

CHP’s investigation is ongoing and officials have not released any further details regarding their findings.

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RVC News photos

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 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 16 grandchildren.

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