DUI suspected in San Jacinto head-on crash

SAN JACINTO, Calif. — Authorities are investigating a suspected DUI-related, head-on collision between a pickup truck and tractor-trailer big rig combo that injured both drivers last night, Friday, July 3.

Both drivers were hospitalized and one of the drivers was arrested after the crash, which happened on Ramona Expressway, between Warren Rd. and Gateway Ave., in an unincorporated area of San Jacinto.

Last night’s crash was the second serious collision to occur within a three mile span of Ramona Expressway yesterday, after another major injury accident that happened near Bridge St. earlier in the day.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:

UPDATE: Officials ID Perris couple killed in shootout with security guard outside Riverside nightclub

UPDATE: Officials ID Hemet man after pursuit ends in four-vehicle wreck

Stolen vehicle investigation leads to Perris chop shop – Seven arrested

Body found in Desert Hot Springs leads to murder investigation

Bomb threat forces hours-long closure of Temecula DMV

CHP, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Fire-Riverside, and AMR were dispatched to the scene around 9:45 p.m., after receiving several 911 calls reporting a head-on collision with at least one person seriously injured and possibly trapped inside the mangled wreckage of a pickup truck.

When officials arrived they found a white Volvo tractor-trailer operated by Sygma out of Lancaster, and a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. After the collision, the big rig and trailer ended up off the roadway, while the Toyota was left blocking the road.

CHP has reported that one of the two drivers involved in last night’s crash was under the influence of alcohol and was arrested after being treated for major injuries sustained in the head-on collision. Eddie George/Hemet News photos

Both vehicles sustained major front-end damage and the pickup was so heavily damaged it was left barely recognizable by the tremendous collision impact.

Responding officers also reported that vehicle parts and debris were scattered across the roadway, leaving it impassable.

While CHP called for the temporary closure of Ramona Expressway and began investigating the cause of the crash, fire and rescue personnel worked to treat the two drivers injured in the collision.

Both drivers were reportedly transported by ground ambulances to area hospitals for further treatment. The pickup truck driver’s injuries were described as major, while the tractor-trailer driver reportedly sustained moderate injuries.

The names and current conditions of the injured drivers were not immediately available.

LEADING THE SCNS NORTH STATE HEADLINES:

CDCR officer killed in rollover crash near Old Station

Shingletown double homicide suspect killed in SoCal

UPDATE: Man who ripped the flesh from his own arm with his teeth later dies at hospital

During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined that one of the involved drivers was under the influence of alcohol when the wreck occurred, and officers ultimately arrested the motorist on suspicion of felony DUI causing great bodily injury.

Officials have not yet specified which of the two drivers was suspected of being under the influence and caused the collision.

Ramona Expressway remained closed for about an hour and a half before officers concluded their initial on-scene investigation and the wrecked vehicles were towed from the scene.

CHP’s investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

Eddie George/Hemet News photos

This article sponsored by:

For more information, contact Bill Tyler at Century 21 Full Realty Service.

Voted Best Independent Sandwich Shop in the Inland Empire by The Press-Enterprise readers choice. Centrally located on N Harvard St in the heart of Downtown Hemet, enjoy over 30 different sandwiches and premium salads. Our coffee is made from locally roasted, Organic Coffee Beans from Idyllwild Coffee Roasters. Come taste the difference that is Downtown Deli & Coffee Company. For more information, visit Downtown Deli & Coffee Co. on Facebook.

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.

tagged with , , , , , ,