Search for big-rig driver continuing after fatal Riverside hit and run crash kills Pico Rivera man, 58
RIVERSIDE, Calif., — Authorities say a motorist was killed after crashing into the back of a tractor-trailer combo on the southbound I-215 at the University Avenue off-ramp in Riverside late Friday evening, Feb. 11.
Officials are continuing to search for the driver of the big rig, who did not stop at the scene of the crash and has not yet been identified.
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California Highway Patrol – Riverside officers and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision involving a passenger vehicle and tractor-trailer combo, CHP Officer Juan Quintero has since said of the deadly collision.
When officials arrived at the scene, they located a 2008 Toyota Yaris with major front-end damage blocking the southbound I-215 on the University Avenue offramp. The driver had sustained critical injuries and was unconscious, according to Quintero
Despite lifesaving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
The Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has since identified Antonio Coronado, 58, of Pico Rivera, as the man killed in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 11:42 p.m.
During their preliminary investigation, officers determined the Toyota was traveling southbound on the I-215 at an unknown speed when it slammed into the back of the semi-truck and trailer, which had been traveling in the number 1 – fast lane of the freeway.
“After the collision, the Toyota Yaris became disabled in lanes, while the unknown semi-truck and trailer continued traveling southbound on I-215 and were not located,” Quintero explained.
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CHP’s investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have witnessed the fatal collision is urged to contact CHP’s Accident Investigation Unit at (951) 637-8000. Callers can refer to incident file number 22021BC00032 and can remain anonymous.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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.