Corona motorcyclist, 55, ID’d after fatal Riverside DUI-related collision
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Authorities say an intoxicated driver was arrested after running into the back of a motorcyclist, causing the rider to be fatally ejected onto the roadway early Sunday morning, May 16. The deadly collision happened at the intersection of Indiana Avenue and the eastbound 91 Freeway onramp, according to officials.
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City of Riverside police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 2:18 a.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision involving a motorcyclist, Riverside PD has since reported.
When officials arrived they found a white Ford pickup truck with heavy front-end damage, with its front-end partially on top of a crushed and heavily damaged Harley Davidson motorcycle. The motorcyclist was found down in the roadway in front of his motorcycle.
The motorcyclist was determined to have already succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
Officials work at the scene of Sunday morning’s collision that killed a 55-year-old Corona motorcyclist. A 52-year-old Riverside man was arrested after the deadly crash. Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media and News – OC Hawk News photo
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified James Maloney, 55, of Corona, as the victim killed in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 2:29 a.m.
Based on the circumstances, members of the department’s Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
During their subsequent investigation, officers determined the victim had been riding his motorcycle on Van Buren Boulevard approaching the 91 Freeway when he was struck from behind by the pickup truck, which was being driven by Gordon Richard Longhitano, 52, of Riverside.
The impact caused the rider to be ejected from his motorcycle onto the roadway, where he later died.
It was not immediately clear if the two men knew each other and were traveling together in separate vehicles.
“At this time, it appears alcohol was a contributing factor,” RPD officials said, while not specifying if alcohol and/or drug intoxication were also suspected of the deceased motorcycle rider.
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Based on their investigation, officers arrested Longhitano and he was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI and DUI resulting in injury.
Online jail records indicate Longhitano was released the day after his arrest after he posted $75,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall Of Justice on Sept. 17.
Anyone with further information regarding this collision is urged to contact Riverside Police Traffic Detective R. McHugh at (951) 826-8720 or [email protected]. Callers can refer to incident file number 210013626 and can remain anonymous.
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Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media and News – OC Hawk News photos above, video below.
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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.
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