Two-vehicle Burney crash leads to DUI arrest

March 7, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

BURNEY — A two-vehicle traffic collision in downtown Burney led to a man’s arrest late last night, Friday, March 6. The accident, which CHP later told SCNS was caused by speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol, happened on Main St., near Roff Way.

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CHP and Burney Station deputies were first alerted to last night’s accident shortly before 10 p.m., when a woman called 911 to report she had been involved in a rear-end collision with another vehicle. The caller told emergency dispatchers that she had “hit her head hard” when her vehicle was struck from behind, but was otherwise uninjured and did not require medical attention, according to a CHP incident log.

While waiting for CHP to respond to the collision, the woman told emergency dispatchers that the other involved driver, who was later identified as Shane Hatfield, 40, of Redding, was “being weird” and was possibly under the influence of something, CHP’s log indicated.

She also said that after the accident she saw the other driver moving items from inside his Ford and placing them in the vehicle’s trunk. Those items were later determined to be bottles of alcohol, CHP Officer Gordon later told SCNS.

When officials arrived they found the two involved vehicles stopped near Kinzie’s Closet and Kim’s Konsignment, just east of the CHP Station. The vehicles were described as a white Dodge Caravan with rear-end damage and silver or white Ford Focus with front-end damage.

During his subsequent collision investigation, Officer Gordon learned from witnesses that just before the collision both Hatfield and the victim had been traveling westbound from the Johnson Park area into Burney.

Based on witness statements, Gordon determined Hatfield was driving at 65 to 70 mph, despite the area’s posted 35 mph speed limit, when he plowed into the back of the victim’s van. The victim had been traveling between 30 to 35 mph when her Dodge was struck from behind, Gordon explained.

While interviewing Hatfield, Gordon determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him. He was later transported to Shasta County Jail in Redding, where he was booked on suspicion of DUI.

Hatfield’s vehicle, which was not driveable after the collision, was later released to his spouse and towed from the scene.

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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.