Moreno Valley pedestrian, 36, ID’d after struck by pickup truck in Murrieta

MURRIETA, Calif., — Authorities say a pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a pickup truck while walking on a busy Murrieta road early Monday morning, Nov. 15.

The victim was walking within the lanes of travel in the 25000 block of Jefferson Avenue, just north of Guava Street, when the fatal accident happened, according to Murrieta Police Department.

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City of Murrieta police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash shortly before 5 a.m. after receiving reports of a traffic accident involving a pedestrian, Murrieta PD has since said of the fatal collision.

When officials arrived they found a pedestrian down in the roadway with a white pickup truck nearby. The driver of the truck remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation.

The victim suffered critical injuries and despite life-saving measures he succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.

The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has since identified Darron Kelly, 36, of Moreno Valley, as the man killed in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 5:04 a.m.

Based on the circumstances, members of Murrieta PD’s Traffic Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

During their subsequent investigation, officers learned the driver who struck the victim was traveling northbound on Jefferson Avenue in a white, full-size pickup truck in the number three lane just before the fatal collision.

Evidence at the scene and witness statements revealed that just before being struck, Kelly was walking within the lane of travel of the number 3 lane.

While officials worked at the scene they called for the temporary closure of Jefferson Road, between Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Guava Street. The roadway was reopened around six hours later, shortly before 11 a.m.

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Murrieta PD’s investigation into the cause of the fatal crash is continuing.

Anyone with information regarding this accident or who witnessed the collision and has not yet provided a statement is encouraged to contact Murrieta PD Traffic Investigator Jared Matthews at (951) 461-6315. Callers can refer to incident file number MR21-6003 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.