Wrong-way driver killed in fiery head-on crash with big rig on I-5 in Redding

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a wrong-way driver was killed in a fiery wreck when she plowed head-on into a tractor-trailer combo on Interstate 5 in Redding early this morning, Friday, Jan. 14.

Two occupants from the big rig managed to escape serious injury after the collision, which occurred just north of South Bonnyview Road, according to officials.

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When officials arrived, they found a big rig and passenger sedan that were both fully engulfed in flames.

Although officials quickly located two occupants from the big rig, the driver of the involved Lexus had not been able to exit her vehicle after the crash and perished at the scene.

Firefighters work at the scene of a deadly collision involving a wrong-way driver who was killed when her vehicle smashed head-on into an oncoming big rig. KRCR photos

California Highway Patrol has since reported that the woman killed in the collision, whose name has not yet been released, had gotten onto the freeway from South Bonnyview Road around 1 a.m. and was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes when she crashed head-on into the oncoming big rig.

The 43-year-old driver of the semi sustained minor injuries and was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Redding for further treatment, according to CHP; who said the rig’s passenger was uninjured and did not require further treatment.

CHP has not yet ruled out intoxication or distracted driving and their investigation is continuing.

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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.

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