UPDATE: Victim, 63, ID’d after deadly Riverside wreck
UPDATED: Monday, June 15, 2:30 p.m., With release of coroner’s information
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A 63-year-old woman was killed and three other victims suffered moderate to critical injuries after a two-vehicle crash in Riverside Friday afternoon, June 12.
Officials have since identified Vicki Gonzales, of Riverside, as the driver killed in the collision; which happened at the intersection of Arlington and Magnolia avenues. A coroner’s release indicated she was pronounced deceased at 3:05 p.m., after being rushed to an area hospital.
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City of Riverside police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene about 2:11 p.m., after receiving multiple calls reporting a major injury traffic collision at the intersection.
When officials arrived they found two heavily damaged cars, with three victims inside one of the cars that was struck and one person in the other vehicle.
A 63-year-old Riverside woman was killed when a vehicle turned directly into her oncoming car. Her two passengers were critically injured, while the fourth victim sustained moderate injuries. Scott Bev Blair photo
Due to the extensive injuries, officials requested additional resources, including a total of four ambulances to the scene.
The most critically injured person, since identified as Gonzales, was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital, where despite life-saving measures she succumbed to her injuries and passed away about an hour after the collision.
The two other victims from Gonzales’s vehicle were transported by ground ambulance to Loma Linda University Medical Center with injuries described as critical; while the driver who reportedly caused the accident was transported an area hospital with moderate injuries.
Based on the circumstances, members of Riverside PD’s Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) responded and assumed the investigation.
During their preliminary investigation, officials determined a 49-year-old Riverside resident driving a 2009 Infinity was traveling westbound on Arlington Ave and attempted to make a left-hand turn onto Magnolia Ave.
The vehicle then collided head-on with Gonzales’s 2010 Hyundai; which had been traveling eastbound on Arlington Ave.
During their investigation, officials called for the hours-long closure of the intersection and area motorists were diverted away from the scene. The roadway was reopened about six hours later, shortly after 8 p.m.
Riverside PD’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this collision is urged to call Riverside Police Traffic Detective G. Anderson at (951) 826-8723. Callers can refer to incident file number 200015306 and can remain anonymous.
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Scott Bev Blair photos
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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.