Two CHP officers sustain major injuries after fiery I-5 wreck that killed three others
STOCKTON, Calif. — Authorities say three occupants of an SUV were killed when their vehicle plowed into a CHP vehicle then struck a tree and burst into flames along Interstate 5 in Stockton early this morning, Tuesday, March 23.
Two California Highway Patrol officers who had been assisting a disabled tractor-trailer south of Walnut Grove Road sustained major injuries in the collision and remain hospitalized, according to CHP.
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CHP has since reported that two officers were sitting in their patrol vehicle along the southbound side of I-5 around 2:30 a.m. when a 2021 Subaru SUV plowed into the back of the officers’ vehicle.
“For unknown reasons, the driver of a 2021 Subaru SUV, caused the vehicle to veer off the roadway to the right,” CHP described; adding, “The vehicle collided with the rear of the CHP patrol vehicle, sending the patrol vehicle into the dirt embankment.”
Two CHP officers sustained major injuries after a car occupied by three people plowed into the back of their patrol vehicle this morning. All three occupants of the Subaru that struck the CHP vehicle died after their SUV then struck a tree and burst into flames. CHP-Stockton photo
After smashing into the patrol vehicle, the Subaru collided with a tree and became fully engulfed in flames.
“Sadly, the three occupants in the vehicle succumbed to their injuries on scene and were pronounced deceased,” said CHP.
The victim’s names have not been released, pending notification of their families.
“The two officers were transported to a nearby hospital with major injuries,” added CHP.
CHP’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) was summoned to the scene and assumed the investigation.
The hours-long investigation forced the closure of the number two lane of the highway, which has since been reopened.
“It is unknown whether drugs and/or alcohol were a factor in this collision,” said CHP; adding that their investigation is ongoing.
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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.
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.