UPDATED: Hemet transient killed by hit and run driver ID’d
UPDATED: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1 p.m., With coroner’s release of information.
Originally published: Monday, Aug. 24, 11 p.m.
HEMET, Calif. — Authorities in Hemet are investigating a hit and run traffic collision that left a pedestrian dead early Monday morning, Aug. 24.
Officials are still searching for the vehicle involved in the fatal crash, which happened on Domenigoni Pkwy, just east of Alamar Mesa Dr., between Sanderson Ave. and Warren Rd., according to officers investigating the deadly incident.
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City of Hemet police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 2:30 a.m., after receiving reports of an unresponsive subject down on Domenigoni Pkwy, according to Hemet Police officials.
The 911 caller told emergency dispatchers that the man appeared to be bloody and was not moving.
Officials work at the scene of a hit and run that left a man dead on Domegoni Pkwy. early this morning. Will Whelan/Hemet Valley Incidents photo
When officials arrived they found the victim down on the north shoulder of the westbound lanes.
“The male had been struck by a vehicle and was deceased,” said officials.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified a 31-year-old transient, Landis Gibbs as the pedestrian killed in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased within minutes of officials’ arrival, at 2:40 a.m.
The vehicle that collided into Gibbs had fled the scene prior to officer’s arrival and as of this update had not been located.
The person who called 911 was still at the scene and was later ruled out as being involved in the deadly hit and run.
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Hemet Police Traffic Investigators were called in to assume the investigation, which is active and ongoing.
“At the time of this writing it is not known if the pedestrian was walking in the lanes of traffic or on the shoulder and all that is known about the suspect vehicle is that it was a darker color,” explained officials.
This morning’s deadly hit and run forced the hours-long closure of the westbound lanes of Domenigoni Pkwy, while officials investigated the fatal incident. Hemet PD photo
While officials worked at the scene, officers called for the temporary closure of the westbound lanes of Domenigoni Pkwy., between Sanderson Ave. and Warren Rd. The roadway was re-opened approximately four hours later.
Anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation is encouraged to immediately contact the Hemet Police Department at (951)765-2400. Callers can refer to incident file number MV20-236-0296 and can remain anonymous.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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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.