“Rolling around in traffic”, man fatally run over in Riverside

May 11, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Authorities say a transient who was possibly under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and was seen rolling around in the lanes of traffic was fatally struck in Riverside Sunday evening, May 9.

The deadly accident, which remains under investigation, happened on Magnolia Avenue south of Elizabeth Street, according to officials.

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City of Riverside police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene just after 9 p.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian, Riverside Police Department later said of the fatal incident.

The victim was rushed by ambulance to Riverside Community Hospital with critical traumatic injuries where he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified the victim as Michael Mackey, 57, of Riverside. A coroner’s release indicated Mackey was pronounced deceased at 10:48 p.m.

During their subsequent investigation officers interviewed several witnesses, including the driver who struck the victim. The driver was uninjured in the collision and had remained at the scene and was cooperating with the department’s investigation.

Officers learned that just before the accident, Mackey was seen by witnesses “rolling around in the traffic lanes” on Magnolia Avenue south of Elizabeth Street, according to RPD.

“The male came to a stop near the center of the roadway, where he lied in the path of the oncoming Toyota Yaris and was struck by the vehicle in the northbound left-hand turn lane of Magnolia Avenue at Elizabeth Street,” RPD explained; adding, “At this time, it appears that drugs and/or alcohol may have been a contributing factor.”

RPD’s investigation is continuing and anyone with information regarding this collision is urged to contact Riverside Police Traffic Detective G. Anderson at (951) 826-8723 or [email protected]. Callers can refer to incident file number 210012948 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 (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.