Married couple, 83 & 79, ID’d after Lake Mathews crash

UPDATED: Thursday, Nov. 19, 12:23 p.m.

See Original Story and Video below.

LAKE MATHEWS, Calif. — Officials have identified a married couple who died after a solo-vehicle crash in Lake Mathews sometime Wednesday morning, Nov. 18.

Although there were no witnesses to the deadly accident, the couple was pronounced deceased after their wrecked vehicle was found in an open field in the area of Gavilan and Cajalco roads, between El Sobrante and Harley John roads, according to authorities investigating the cause of the deadly crash.

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California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire – Riverside officials have indicated the couple’s vehicle ended up in an open field about 30 feet down an embankment, leaving two occupants critically injured and trapped inside their wrecked vehicle.

Official releases have indicated that nobody witnessed the accident, which was eventually reported around 8:21 a.m., after a passing motorist spotted a broken guardrail at the intersection and called 911.

Emergency responders and others work at the scene of Wednesday’s deadly crash. Lone Wolf News and Media photos

Responding CHP officers then located the couple’s vehicle upside down and on its roof in the open field beyond the intersection. After checking inside the car, officials found a couple who had already succumbed to their injuries and passed away.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified Paul Martinez, 79, and Anita Martinez, 83, both of Perris, as the couple killed in the accident. A coroner’s release indicated the couple was pronounced deceased at the scene at 8:38 a.m. and 8:41 a.m., once emergency personnel were able to make their way to the vehicle and check on its occupants.

CHP is continuing to investigate the cause of Wednesday’s fatal accident and officials have not ruled out a medical crisis, which may have led to the deadly incident.


LAKE MATHEWS, Calif. — Although few details have been released, authorities this morning say two people were killed in a solo-vehicle crash in Lake Mathews earlier this morning, Wednesday, Nov. 18. The deadly accident happened in an open field in the area of Gavilan and Cajalco roads, between El Sobrante and Harley John roads, according to a Cal Fire – Riverside social media release.

This morning’s fatal crash was the second double fatality accident in the Lake Mathews area to occur in the last few weeks, after a head-on collision involving a big rig and small passenger vehicle Nov. 3. The earlier accident happened on the opposite, west side of the lake, at Cajalco Road just west of La Sierra Avenue.

SEE OTHER RECENT LAKE MATHEWS HEADLINE NEWS:

Five shot near Lake Mathews – Two dead, two critical

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California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and AMR were dispatched to the scene around 8:21 a.m., Cal Fire reported in their release.

According to the agency, the sole vehicle involved in the accident ended up about 30 feet down an embankment, leaving two occupants trapped inside their wrecked vehicle.

Both victims passed away at the scene and neither has been publicly identified, pending further investigation and notification of their families.

California Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the deadly crash and no further details have been released yet.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.


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Trevor Montgomery, 49, 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 30 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 18 grandchildren.