I-15 investigation continuing after pedestrian makes fatal leap in front of oncoming big rig

January 3, 2022 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Monday, Jan. 3, 2:30 p.m. With traffic condition update and video from scene.

WILDOMAR, Calif., — Although details are continuing to emerge, officials have confirmed that a man was killed after leaping in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer big rig earlier this morning, Monday, Jan. 3. Early and unconfirmed reports from the scene indicate the initial vehicle versus pedestrian collision may have caused a second crash, after another big rig was unable to avoid colliding into the first semi-truck when the first driver tried to avoid striking the pedestrian.

The deadly collision, which left the victim’s lifeless body in the lanes of travel and caused a traffic nightmare for area residents and commuters, happened on the northbound I-15, just south of Baxter Road/Wildomar Trail in Wildomar.

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California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Fire – Riverside, and other emergency personnel were alerted to the deadly collision shortly before 11 a.m. after multiple people called 911 to report the collision.

A CHP incident log at the time of the crash indicated that several vehicles had stopped at the scene, with multiple people attempting to help the mortally injured pedestrian.

Officials are continuing to work at the scene of a fatal collision after a man reportedly leaped in front of an oncoming big rig along the northbound I-15 in Wildomar this morning. Rivco News photos

When officials arrived, they found more than a dozen big rigs and other vehicles stopped within the slow lane and just off the highway. Officials also found a small crowd of citizens around the deceased victim’s body, which was left partially blocking the freeway.

Paramedics soon confirmed the victim, described as a male wearing a red shirt and black jacket, had already succumbed to his injuries and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

In addition to the driver of the big rig that struck the victim, officers interviewed the driver of a cement hauler that early reports from the scene indicated may have crashed into the back end of the first semi, after its driver slammed on his brakes while trying to avoid the pedestrian.

CHP’s incident log indicated that the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office was summoned to the scene around noon, and that a hard closure of the freeway had been requested; with Cal Trans headed to the scene to assist with the closure and cleanup of the highway.

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While CHP and other emergency personnel continued working at the scene, the freeway was soon backed up for several miles, with area residents reporting significant delays in their travel times. However, the roadway has since been cleared with traffic reportedly back to normal.

No further details were immediately available, and CHP’s investigation is active and ongoing at the scene.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

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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.