UPDATE: More details released after woman fatally struck crossing Hwy 74 in Menifee

January 12, 2022 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Thursday, Jan, 13, 7:02 a.m., With additional details from Menifee PD.

Originally Published: Wednesday, Jan. 12, 5:36 p.m.

MENIFEE, Calif., — Authorities say a woman was killed when she was struck by a car while trying to cross a busy Menifee highway Tuesday evening, Jan. 11. The woman killed in the collision, which happened at the intersection of Highway 74 and Trumble Road, just east of the 215 Freeway, was not using a designated crosswalk when she was struck, according to officials.

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City of Menifee police and fire personnel, along with California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and other emergency resources, were dispatched to the scene around 9:22 p.m. after receiving reports of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian, Menifee Police Captain Chris Karrer has since reported.

When officials arrived, they found a woman down in the roadway, with a blue sedan pulled to the side of the road nearby, and confirmed the victim had already succumbed to her injuries and passed away. Her name has not yet been released, pending notification of her family.

An officer is seen interviewing a New York man who was involved in a fatal collision involving a pedestrian Tuesday evening. John Strangis/RMG Media photo

The driver, Chris Kornacki, out of New York, remained on scene and fully cooperated with the investigation, according to Karrer.

“According to the driver, he was traveling westbound on Highway 74 approaching the Trumble Road intersection on a green light,” the Captain explained. “He noticed a pedestrian walk into his path and though he attempted to swerve, he was unable to avoid striking the pedestrian.”

During their subsequent investigation, officers were able to corroborate Kornacki’s statements after viewing nearby surveillance video that captured footage showing that the female pedestrian had been walking northbound from the south side of Highway 74 along the east corner of Trumble Road.

“This side of the intersection is posted “No pedestrian crossing” and has no marked crosswalk,” Karrer went on to explain; adding, “There is no suspected impairment or distracted driving (suspected) at this time.”

SEE OTHER RECENT SW-RIVCO PEDESTRIAN RELATED FATALITIES:
Menifee man, 38, ID’d after fatally struck by vehicle following I-215 collision
Corona pedestrian, 69, ID’d after struck by vehicle on I-15 in Lake Elsinore
Bicycle rider, 7, ID’d after fatally struck by truck in San Jacinto

While officials worked at the scene, they called for the temporary closure of the highway, but the road was reopened several hours later.

Menifee PD’s investigation is continuing and anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Menifee PD Sergeant Matt Bloch at (951) 723-1565 or by email.

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

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

John Strangis/RMG Media photos above, video below. (Warning: Video contains graphic images.)

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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.