New witness accounts, CHP report released, after local man dies in Aguanga motorcycle crash
UPDATED: Thursday, Sept. 16, 9:06 a.m.
See Original Story below.
AGUANGA, Calif., — California Highway Patrol has released additional details after a solo-vehicle crash that killed an Aguanga man earlier this week, on Monday, Sept. 13. As reported by RCNS the day after the crash, the deadly accident happened along Hwy 371, between Roca Vista Drive and Breach Road.
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California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire-Riverside, and AMR were dispatched to the scene shortly before 5 p.m. after receiving reports of a crash involving a motorcyclist, according to CHP.
While officials were headed to the scene, CHP’s incident log indicated that the critically injured rider, since identified as Joshua Bellows, 43, of Aguanga, had a weak pulse and that CPR was in progress.
Joshua Bellows, 43, of Aguanga, has been identified as the motorcyclist killed in last Monday’s deadly crash on Hwy 371 in Aguanga.
Responding officials found several citizens who had stopped at the scene in the immediate aftermath of the crash and were still performing CPR on the southbound shoulder of the highway. However, despite life-saving efforts first by the citizens and then by paramedics, Bellows succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
Although it was initially shared on social media and has been widely speculated that another motorcyclist may have been involved in the fatal accident, CHP has since made no mention of another involved rider and have said that Bellows was passing another motorist and had crossed a set of double yellow lines just before the fatal crash.
According to a subsequent CHP incident report completed by CHP Officer Jarvis, Bellows was traveling northbound on SR-371 on his 2013 Harley-Davidson at approximately 50-60 mph just before the deadly crash.
“He was observed crossing over the solid double yellow lines to pass a slower moving vehicle,” Jarvis explained; saying, “He allowed his motorcycle to drift off of the west roadway edge of SR-371 and onto the dirt shoulder.”
As the motorcycle left the roadway, Bellows failed to maintain control of his motorcycle and it traveled up and over a dirt embankment along the side of the highway, causing him to be ejected from his motorcycle, according to Jarvis; who said the motorcycle and rider ended up in the dirt and brush area just west of SR-371.
RCNS has since learned that a Temecula resident, who works in the medical field and asked to only be identified as Jackie, happened upon Monday’s crash before the dust had even settled. She has since shared with RCNS what she saw that tragic day.
After seeing vehicles beginning to stop and block the two lane rural highway, Jackie said she saw a small group around the downed rider and got out of her vehicle to see if she could help in any way.
“There was still dirt in the air and debris in the road,” Jackie described. “Some people who stopped began moving debris out of the roadway and began trying to direct traffic, so I got to the next safe pull out and ran back up to the scene.”
“I felt for a pulse myself and one of the men there agreed we could feel a faint pulse,” Jackie continued; saying that the man, whose wife is an EMT and provided directions over the phone, led the life-saving efforts at the scene that day.
“That man who did compressions was amazing. He worked so hard to try and save the victim,” Jackie described; saying that the good Samaritans spent around 10 to 15 minutes providing CPR and other life-saving measures before paramedics arrived and took over.
“Paramedics spent an additional 15 minutes trying to save the man’s life before he was finally pronounced deceased,” she explained; saying “I really hope the family and investigators are able to figure out what really happened.”
“I just want the family to know that the victim was not alone when he passed and we did everything we could to try and save his life,” Jackie continued.
CHP has since used the opportunity to remind area motorcyclists and other motorists to “never cross over double yellow lines.”
“It is illegal and extremely dangerous,” said Jarvis.
The CHP – Temecula Area office is conducting this traffic collision investigation and anyone who witnessed this accident is urged to contact CHP Officer Jarvis at (951) 506-2000. Callers can refer to incident file number 09132021-1653-9685-17903 and can remain anonymous.
Original Story: Local man, 43, ID’d after fatal motorcycle crash
AGUANGA, Calif., — Authorities say a motorcyclist was killed in a solo-vehicle motorcycle crash in Aguanga yesterday afternoon, Monday, Sept. 13. The fatal accident happened along Hwy 371, between Roca Vista Drive and Breach Road.
California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire-Riverside, and AMR were dispatched to the scene shortly before 5 p.m. after receiving reports of a crash involving a motorcyclist, according to a Cal Fire social media release and CHP incident log.
A photo snapped by another motorist shows traffic backed up after yesterday’s solo-vehicle motorcycle crash that killed a local man and left Hwy. 371 temporarily blocked. Scott Kroll photo
When they arrived they found a Harley-Davidson motorcycle along the dirt shoulder, with a rider down on the ground nearby and CHP’s incident log indicated that the rider had a weak pulse and that CPR was in progress.
Despite life saving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials have since identified Joshua Bellows, 43, of Aguanga, as the victim killed in the crash. A coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 5:15 p.m.
The collision caused the roadway to be temporarily blocked and impassable while officials worked at the scene, but the road was quickly re-opened.
CHP is continuing to investigate the cause of the collision and have not yet said if alcohol or drug intoxication were considered to be contributing factors in the accident.
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.
“I just want the family to know that the victim was not alone when he passed and we did everything we could to try and save his life,”
Thank you Jackie. God bless you and the others who were there for my little brother as he left this world for the next. Your words were such a comfort to me.
-One of his many sisters