Head-on crash with big rig kills pickup truck driver in Jurupa Valley

JURUPA VALLEY, Calif., — Authorities say the driver of a pickup truck was killed when they lost control of their vehicle and plowed head-on into an oncoming big rig in Jurupa Valley late Tuesday afternoon, July 20. The deadly accident happened on Rubidoux Boulevard, between El Rivino and Castellano roads.

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Deputies from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station, along with CAL FIRE-Riverside and AMR, were dispatched to the scene around 5:10 p.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision involving a pickup truck and big rig, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Lemsisanith later said of the fatal accident.

When officials arrived they found two wrecked and heavily damaged vehicles, described as a grey Ford Ranger pickup truck and a white semi running bobtail without a trailer. Vehicle parts and debris were spread across the roadway, forcing the full, temporary closure of Rubidoux Boulevard.

A deputy surveys the scene of a fatal collision involving a pickup truck and bobtail big rig in Jurupa Valley. Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media-OnScene TV photo

The pickup truck, which was left completely unrecognizable and portions of the truck ended up underneath the front of the big rig, according to CAL FIRE, whose firefighters immediately went to work trying to gain access to the Ford’s driver, who was left critically injured and trapped inside the mangled remains of the pickup.

While firefighters worked to extricate the pickup’s driver the victim succumbed to their injuries and passed away at the scene, according to Lemsisanith and CAL FIRE.

The driver of the semi suffered minor to moderate injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to an area hospital for medical treatment.

Based on the circumstances, members of the Jurupa Valley Sheriff Station’s Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the location and assumed the investigation.

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During their subsequent investigation, deputies determined that just before the collision the pickup was traveling northbound on Rubidoux Boulevard when the driver lost control of their vehicle. The truck then collided into a fence before careening across the southbound lane and smashing head-on with the southbound traveling big rig.

“The identities of the involved parties, including the deceased, will not be released at this time pending further investigation and the notification to the next of kin,” Lemsisanith explained; adding, “It is not known at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the collision.”

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Nancarrow of the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station at (951) 955-2600 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at (951) 776-1099. Callers can refer to incident file number JV212010131 and can remain anonymous.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.


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Johnny Lopez/Lone Wolf Media-OnScene TV photos above, video below.



Contact the writer: [email protected]

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.