Red Bluff pedestrian, 69, fatally struck by driver who thought he hit a deer
RED BLUFF, Calif. — Authorities say a 69-year-old pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while walking in Red Bluff last night, Monday, Oct. 11. The fatal accident, which was initially investigated as a hit and run resulting in death, happened on Lucknow Avenue near Dunvin Court, according to California Highway Patrol.
Although the driver who struck the victim initially left the scene of the fatal collision, he later contacted CHP after he heard about the victim’s death on social media, according to officials; who said the man told investigators that he had not reported the accident because he thought he had struck a deer.
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CHP and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 8:40 p.m. after receiving reports of a hit and run. The victim, a Red Bluff man whose name has not yet been released, passed away from injuries sustained in the collision, according to CHP.
During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined the driver, 51-year-old Randy Aspillaga, was traveling northbound in a Ford Edge when he collided with what he thought was a deer. Although he initially drove home, he later learned through social media that he might have collided with a person, at which time he contacted 911 and reported his collision.
Aspillaga was interviewed at his residence by officers, who have since said that neither alcohol or drug intoxication were suspected as contributing factors in the fatal accident.
No arrests have been made or are expected and the collision remains under investigation.
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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.