Struck and run over by two vehicles in Menifee, Lake Elsinore man killed

MENIFEE, Calif. — Authorities say a bicyclist was killed after being struck by at least two vehicles late Saturday evening, Jan. 16. The bicyclist was initially hit while crossing Highway 74, just west of Briggs Road, when he was then run over by a second vehicle, according to authorities.

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City of Menifee police officers, along with other emergency personnel, responded to the area around 10:45 p.m., after receiving the report of a man down in the roadway, Menifee Police Lieutenant Abigail Valle has since said of the fatal incident.

The 911 caller told emergency dispatchers that he believed he had hit someone who was in the roadway, but was unsure due to darkness. He also reported that the victim may have been struck by a second vehicle that did not stop and continued driving away from the scene.

When officers arrived they located the lifeless body of a man down in the eastbound lanes of Highway 74.

“The male was unresponsive and exhibiting obvious signs of death,” described Valle.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials later identified Alex Herrera, 43, of Lake Elsinore, as the bicyclist killed in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at the scene by responding officers at 10:48 p.m.

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The driver of a white pickup truck, who had called 911 and remained at the scene told officers he had been traveling westbound on Highway 74 when he struck the victim on his bicycle, according to Valle; who said, “Herrera was on a bicycle when it appeared, he crossed into the roadway, where the driver of the white truck, traveling westbound on Highway 74, collided with (him).”

“The collision caused the deceased to be thrown into the eastbound lanes, where it appeared, the deceased was struck again,” Valle continued.

Although the driver of the second vehicle did not remain on scene and continued on, the impact of that collision caused the second vehicle’s license plate to be torn off the vehicle and it was collected as evidence of a possible hit and run.

Officers quickly determined the license plate belonged to a vehicle registered to a driver and home in Hemet. Menifee police officers responded to that residence and detained the person who had failed to stop after hitting Herrera.

“Further investigation revealed the second driver may not have known he struck the pedestrian,” said Valle; adding that, “No additional witnesses were located at the scene of the collision.”

Based on the circumstances and interviews, nobody was arrested during Menifee PD’s investigation, according to Valle, who said that driver intoxication did not appear to be a factor in this collision.

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Menifee PD’s Traffic Bureau is still investigating the full cause of the collision.

Valle later took the time to remind area motorists that remaining at the scene of a collision enables police to accurately assess the circumstances surrounding collisions in a timely manner.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Traffic Sergeant Matt Bloch at (951) 723-1690, or the Menifee Police Department office line at (951) 723-1500. Callers can refer to incident file number MN21-0303 and can remain anonymous. 

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

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 KRCR News Channel 7 and Mountain Echo in Shasta County, Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego 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.