Walking in lanes of I-215 in Riverside, pedestrian struck by one big rig, shielded by another
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Walking down the middle of the I-215 in Riverside, a pedestrian was struck by a passing big rig late last night, Friday, July 16. A second oncoming big rig then positioned his tractor-trailer combo across the lanes of traffic to protect and shield the downed victim from other oncoming vehicles.
Incredibly, the victim survived the collision, which happened on the eastbound I-215, between Blaine/3rd Street and University Avenue, just east of the 215/60/91 interchange.
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California Highway Patrol and Riverside Fire Department were dispatched to the scene around 11:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a pedestrian who had been struck by a semi.
The 911 caller reported the big rig that struck the pedestrian had swerved in an attempt to miss the pedestrian, who had been walking between the middle and slow lanes on the freeway.
Paramedics work to secure and stabilize a pedestrian’s broken leg, while a truck driver helps the rescue efforts by holding an IV bag. Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media-OnScene TV photo
When officials arrived they found the seriously injured pedestrian down in the slow lane, while the tractor-trailer that struck him was about 100 yards down the highway and stopped in the lanes of traffic.
Paramedics immediately began evaluating the victim’s injuries and were seen working on one of the man’s legs, which appeared to be broken. The victim’s shoes were found some distance from the scene of the collision.
Although the victim appeared to be alert and conscious, they were clearly in a tremendous amount of pain as emergency personnel continued efforts to stabilize them at the scene as a bystander, reported to be one of the truck drivers, assisted firefighters by holding an IV bag in the air, as big-rigs and other vehicles passed by mere feet behind him.
The victim was eventually loaded onto a ground ambulance before being transported to an area hospital in unknown condition.
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While the two slow lanes were closed for an extended period, the number one and two lanes of the freeway remained open. However, traffic still quickly backed up for several miles while officials worked at the scene.
It was not immediately clear why the person was walking on the freeway and CHP’s investigation is continuing.
Click any image to open full-size gallery.
Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media-OnScene TV photos above, video below.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, 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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