Landers man, 45, ID’d after deadly wrong-way Whitewater crash
WHITEWATER, Calif. — Authorities say a 45-year-old Landers man died in a two-vehicle, head-on collision involving a wrong way driver in Whitewater on Memorial Day, Monday, June 31. Officials have not specified if the victim was the wrong-way driver killed in the collision, which happened on Highway 62, about one-half mile east of Dillon Road.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Fiery Hwy 371 crash kills one, ignites one-acre brush fire
Teen ID’d after deadly off road vehicle crash on Perris city streets
UPDATE: Speed suspected in fatal crash that killed Menifee man
Juvenile seriously injured, airlifted after Anza motocross accident
Chased by homeowner, two arrested after Eastvale vehicle burglaries
California Highway Patrol was first alerted to a wrong-way driver who was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of traffic on Highway 62 at around 10:10 p.m., CHP has since reported. About a minute later they received an update from the 911 caller that the wrong-way driver had smashed head-on into an oncoming car.
911 callers then reported finding one of the drivers critically injured, unconscious, and trapped inside his wrecked vehicle; at which time CHP officers, along with Cal Fire-Riverside and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene of the collision.
When officials arrived they began working to free the trapped and injured victim, but later reported that the man succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene. Officials also found two additional victims, at least one of whom was transported to an area hospital. Cal Fire has since described their injuries as minor to moderate and have said that both victims were expected to survive.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified Clinton Palmquist as the man killed in the collision. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 11 p.m.
SEE OTHER RECENT RCNS HEADLINE NEWS:
Arrest made in Jurupa Valley shooting that killed one brother, critically injured other
Missing Menifee man’s body third recovered from Canyon Lake since October
Investigation continuing after young boy murdered in San Jacinto
Videos of fatal deputy-involved Whitewater shooting released
Highway 62 remained closed for several hours while officials worked at the scene.
Officials have not said if alcohol and/or drug intoxication were believed to be contributing factors in the collision and it was not immediately clear whether the wrong-way way driver was the person killed.
CHP’s investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
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.