Boy, 13, ID’d after fatally struck while riding bike in Corona

CORONA, Calif., — A young teen has died after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle in Corona Thursday afternoon, Jan. 13. Authorities say the fatal accident happened at the intersection of West Citron Street and South Lincoln Avenue.

Thursday’s fatal bicycle-related accident was the second such incident to hit the southwest Riverside County area this month, after another similar accident involving a 7-year-old bicycle rider who was killed when he was struck by a commercial vehicle in a residential San Jacinto neighborhood barely one week ago.

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City of Corona police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 4:32 p.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic accident involving a bicyclist.

When officers arrived, they found a teen down in the roadway suffering from critical injuries.

13-year-old, Edward Vazquez, of Corona died after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike at a Corona intersection. Vazquez family/GoFundMe photo

Fire personnel arrived shortly after and paramedics transported the bicyclist to Riverside Community Hospital where, despite life-saving efforts, he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has since identified Edward Vazquez, 13, of Corona, as the boy killed in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 5:31 p.m.

The driver of the vehicle who struck the bicyclist was uninjured, remained at the scene, and cooperated with the investigation.

Although the cause of this collision remains under investigation, officials say they have ruled out alcohol and/or drug intoxication as possible contributing factors in the collision, which is being investigated by the Corona Police Department’s Collision Response Team.

SEE RELATED: Bicycle rider, 7, ID’d after fatally struck by truck in San Jacinto

“I still cannot believe my Jr., my first pride and joy is gone,” the victim’s father, Eddie Vazquez has since said of the tragic accident.

In a related GoFundMe, the victim was described as being adored by all, who – despite facing many challenges in life – was always able to “push through for himself and his younger brother, and still evolve into a respectful young man and role model.”

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Traffic Officer Johnathan Drylie at (951) 817-5784, or by email.

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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.