DUI suspected in fatal Good Hope head-on crash
GOOD HOPE, Calif. — One person was killed and another was hospitalized with major injuries after a two-vehicle head-on collision in the unincorporated community of Good Hope early Saturday morning, March 13.
California Highway Patrol has since said DUI is suspected in the fatal crash, which happened in the 24300 block of Hwy 74, west of Edward Street, between the cities of Perris and Lake Elsinore.
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CHP, Cal Fire-Riverside, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene shortly before 6 a.m. after receiving reports of the collision.
When officials arrived they found two wrecked vehicles with vehicle parts and debris spread across the entire highway. Both vehicles, a 2004 Honda Accord and 2000 Nissan Pathfinder, sustained major front-end damage, according to CHP.
Paramedics determined the man who had been driving the Honda succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified Abraham Cortez-Rodriguez, 26, of Lake Elsinore, as the victim killed in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 6:02 a.m.
“The driver of the Pathfinder, a 52-year-old Lake Elsinore man, suffered major injuries and was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center,” said CHP.
A third person was evaluated but declined transport or further medical treatment, Cal Fire reported, without specifying which vehicle that person had been in when the accident occurred.
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During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined Cortez-Rodriguez was driving his Honda the wrong way on Highway 74 and was traveling eastbound on the westbound side of the roadway directly into the path of the oncoming Nissan.
At the last moment, both drivers attempted to avoid colliding; however, their right front ends collided causing major damage to both vehicles.
Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to CHP, who did not specify which of the two drivers was suspected of being under the influence when the vehicles collided.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact CHP at (951) 506-2000. Callers can refer to incident file number 00145 and can remain anonymous.
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 (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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.