Jurupa Valley man ID’d after fatally ejected in early morning crash
JURUPA VALLEY, Calif., — A local man has died after a solo-vehicle traffic collision involving a vehicle that crashed into two traffic poles in Jurupa Valley early Sunday morning, Aug. 22.
The victim was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from his vehicle when the collision occurred at the intersection of Clay Street and General Drive, according to officials.
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Deputies from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station, Cal Fire-Riverside County Fire Department, and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 4:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a major-injury traffic collision with driver ejected, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Javier Morando has since reported.
When officials arrived they found a single involved vehicle that had struck a curb and two traffic signal poles, ejecting the driver. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was found to have sustained major traumatic injuries and determined to have already passed away. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Cal Fire paramedics.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified Damien Lopez Villa, 22, of Jurupa Valley as the man killed in the accident. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 4:08 a.m.
The Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the location and assumed the investigation.
During their subsequent investigation, Traffic Team members determined Lopez Villa had been traveling at a high rate of speed south on Clay Street just before the fatal accident. As he lost control of his speeding vehicle, it struck a curb – first hitting one pole before careening across the roadway where it then smashed into a second pole.
Both directions of Clay Street between Van Buren Blvd Avenue and Linares Avenue were closed for the duration of the investigation.
At this time, it remains unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the collision.
Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to call Deputy Ditfurth at 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 JV212340029 and can remain anonymous.
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.