320 cited, 15 arrested during San Jacinto traffic enforcement operation

February 27, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

SAN JACINTO — In the wake of countless fatal and major injury collisions throughout the San Jacinto valley over the last three years, officials from the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station hosted the first ever “Quality of Life – Traffic Enforcement Saturation operation” yesterday, Feb. 26. Wednesday’s operation yielded 320 citations and 15 arrests, according to officials.

Citing more than 2,450 injury and non-injury accidents from 2017 through 2019, sheriff’s officials said the enforcement operation was needed to curb the reckless driving behavior and actions that led to many of the prior years’ accidents and to bring better awareness to the issues – such as speeding and distracted driving – that often cause collisions.

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Not including any statistics for 2020, numbers compiled for the San Jacinto valley for the previous three years from 2017 through 2019 show the region saw 23 fatal collisions, 1724 injury and non-injury traffic collisions, 587 hit and run collisions, and 123 injury and non-injury accidents involving drunk drivers, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Bryan De Loss.

In response to those troubling statistics, officials from multiple agencies worked together to participate in the massive, six-hour operation, stopping more than 400 drivers and issuing more than 300 citations for various traffic related violations; including speeding, reckless driving, unsafe lane changes, and following too closely.

Partnering with CHP and Hemet PD, deputies from the San Jacinto and Hemet Sheriff’s Stations spent six hours yesterday performing a “Quality of Life – Traffic Enforcement Saturation operation” yesterday. The enforcement operation yielded 320 citations and 15 arrests. RSO/San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station photo

In addition to issuing hundreds of citations, officials also arrested 14 people who were found to have outstanding warrants, as well as one person who was found to have more than an ounce of methamphetamine for sale.

At the beginning of Wednesday’s successful traffic enforcement operation, which began at 8 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m., Motorcycle Enforcement deputies, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement deputies and Collision Investigation deputies from across the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department partnered with Hemet PD and CHP to saturate areas within the City of San Jacinto and throughout the San Jacinto valley known for speeding and reckless driving, as well as areas where major accidents have occurred.

The six hour saturation patrol resulted in the following:

Total Traffic Stops: Over 400
Total warnings given: 44
Speed Related Violations: 102
Stop Sign Violations: 26
Red Light Violations: 4
Seat Belt Violations: 25
Equipment Violations: 45
Cell Phone Violations: 46
Traffic Control Sign Violations: 27
Commercial Vehicle Related Violations: 27
Unlicensed Driver Violations: 12
Suspended Driver’s License Violations: 6
DUI and or Misdemeanor Warrant Arrests: 12
Felony Warrant Arrests: 2
Possession of Methamphetamine for sales (over one ounce) Arrest: 1

Before yesterday’s saturation patrol, De Loss provided information and statistics that prompted officials to conduct the enforcement operation, saying, “The mission of this traffic saturation operation is to reduce the overall number of traffic collisions within the City of San Jacinto.”

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According to De Loss, the saturation patrol was based on the following historical data for the San Jacinto valley, broken down by year:

2017: 9 fatality, 208 injury and 436 non-injury traffic collisions
15 hit and run collisions with injuries, 191 non-injury hit and run collisions
16 injury collisions involving a DUI motorist, 37 non-injury collisions involving a DUI motorists

2018:   6 fatality, 182 injury and 358 non-injury traffic collisions.
            19 hit and run collisions with injuries, 160 non-injury hit and run collisions
            5 injury collisions involving a DUI motorist, 29 non-injury collisions involving DUI motorists

2019: 8 fatality, 200 injury and 340 non-injury traffic collisions
22 hit and run collisions with injuries, 180 non-injury hit and run collisions
7 injury collisions involving a DUI motorist, 29 non-injury collisions involving DUI motorists

Saying, “We are looking forward to operations like today’s to continue throughout the County of Riverside,” after yesterday’s enforcement operation, De Loss explained, “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to the safety of the citizens we serve.”

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

RSO/San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station 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.