Redding road rage collision leads to arrest of “heavily intoxicated” man

September 20, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a “heavily intoxicated” man in a car who followed another driver while yelling obscenities at them before purposefully striking the victim’s vehicle was arrested yesterday evening, Sunday, Sept. 19.

Later, while being booked into jail, the alleged drunk driver began resisting arresting and booking officers and threatened to harm them and their families, leading to additional charges of resisting arrest and threatening an executive officer, according to officials.

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City of Redding police officers were dispatched to the area of Victor and Marlene avenues shortly before 7:30 p.m. after receiving the report of a road rage incident, Redding Police Corporal Regan Ortega has since said of the incident and arrest.

“Through the investigation, officers learned Elijah Richards, 21, of Redding, left the Lowe’s Home Improvement parking lot in his 2010 Dodge Caliber and recklessly followed another vehicle while screaming obscenities at the vehicle’s occupants,” Ortega explained.

Officials say Elijah Richards was heavily intoxicated when he intentionally rammed another vehicle during a road rage incident yesterday evening. They have also said Richards resisted officers and threatened them and their families, leading to additional charges of resisting arrest and threatening an executive officer. Redding PD photo

The driver of other involved vehicle eventually pulled over to the side of the road in the area of Victor and Marlene avenues to avoid Richards; however “Richards then intentionally drove his vehicle into the victim vehicle, causing minor damage,” according to the Corporal; who added that no injuries resulted from the intentional ramming.

Officers conducted a D.U.I. investigation and determined Richards was driving while heavily intoxicated and they ultimately arrested him at the scene.

He was later transported to the Shasta County Jail in Redding for booking where Ortega says he resisted officers and threatened to harm them and their families.

He was eventually booked on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol, assault with a deadly weapon and driving on a suspended license related to the road rage incident. He also faces charges of resisting arrest and threatening an executive officer, according to the Corporal.

Online jail records indicate Richards remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail or bond.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R061586 and can remain anonymous.

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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.