DUI suspected in fatal crash with partial ejection that killed Menifee passenger, 29

PERRIS, Calif., — Authorities say a Menifee woman was partially ejected and later died at the scene of a solo-vehicle traffic accident in Perris early Sunday morning, October 10.

The victim was a passenger in the vehicle that crashed and DUI is suspected on the part of the driver, according to officials, who said the fatal accident happened on the southbound I-215, south of Nuevo Road.

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California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire Riverside, and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 1:43 a.m. after receiving reports of a vehicle that overturned and crashed into a concrete bridge abutment of the I-215 northbound on-ramp from D-Street, CHP Officer Juan Quintero has since reported.

When officials arrived they found an overturned and wrecked vehicle with two occupants.

“The passenger of the vehicle was partially ejected and sustained fatal injuries as a result of this traffic collision,” said Quintero.

The Riverside County sheriff-Coroner’s Office has since identified Marie Mesa, 29, of Menifee, as the passenger killed in the accident. A Coroner’s release indicated she was pronounced deceased at the scene at 1:58 a.m.

CHP’s preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling on I-215 southbound, when the driver failed to safely negotiate a curve in the roadway.

The vehicle then careened into the dirt median, where it overturned and smashed into the bridge abutment, according to Quintero; who said alcohol intoxication is suspected to be a contributing factor in the crash.

This is an active investigation and anyone who may have witnessed the fatal accident is encouraged to call the
California Highway Patrol’s Accident Investigation Unit at (951) 637-8000. Callers can refer to incident file number 9840-2021-12997 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.