“Significant medical event” suspected after Cottonwood man found dead after Redding solo-vehicle crash

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a medical crisis may have led to a man’s death after he was found unresponsive and not breathing inside his pickup truck after a minor, solo-vehicle accident in Redding early Tuesday morning, March 8.

The fatal incident happened on Churn Creek Road, between Douglas Lane and HIllmonte Drive, and forced the hours-long partial closure of the northbound lanes of Churn Creek Road.

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City of Redding police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 5:50 a.m. after receiving the report of an unresponsive male seen in a vehicle that had collided into an electrical box, Redding Police Sergeant Michael DiMatteo has since reported.

When officials arrived, they confirmed finding the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle unresponsive and immediately began CPR and other lifesaving efforts.

Officials say a “significant medical event” may have led to a man’s death after a minor traffic accident in Redding early yesterday morning. Redding Police Department photo

The victim, described only as a 55-year-old Cottonwood man, was eventually transported to Mercy Medical Center in Redding where he was pronounced deceased.

Evidence at the scene indicated the victim was traveling southbound on Churn Creek Road when his vehicle crossed the lanes of traffic, struck a tree, and continued into a dirt field where it came to rest against an electrical box.

Members of Redding PD’s Traffic Unit responded to the location and conducted a traffic collision investigation.

Their preliminary investigation revealed that the driver was possibly suffering from a “significant medical event” just prior to the minor collision, according to DiMatteo.

Redding PD’s investigation is continuing and anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department’s Traffic Unit at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 22R014621 and can remain anonymous.

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Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.

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.