Two dead following wrong-way I-215 collision in Riverside
RIVERSIDE, Calif., — Authorities say a wrong-way driver and second motorist were killed when their vehicles collided head-on in Riverside early this morning, Tuesday, March 15.
The double fatal crash happened in the northbound HOV lanes of I-215 from I-10, south of the San Bernardino County line, according to officials.
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CHP – Riverside officers were alerted to a Ford Fusion that was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of the freeway around 12:30 a.m., CHP Officer Quintero has since reported.
As units were responding to the area to try and stop the wrong-way driver, they received updated reports of a head-on collision between the Fusion and a second vehicle.
Firefighters are seen trying to extricate one of two victims killed in a wrong-way head-on crash that left two people dead in Riverside early this morning. Johhny Lopez / Lone Wolf News and Media photo
When officials arrived, they found two involved vehicles including the Ford Fusion and a Ford Focus that had smashed head-on in the carpool lanes of the northbound I-215.
Upon closer inspection of the wrecked cars officers discovered both drivers, who were the sole occupants of their vehicles, had sustained fatal injuries as a result of the high-speed crash.
The victims’ names have not yet been released, pending further investigation and notification of their families.
CHP’s investigation is active and ongoing and anyone who may have witnessed the fatal crash and has not yet provided a statement is encouraged to contact the California Highway Patrol’s Accident Investigation Unit at (951) 637-8000. Callers can remain anonymous.
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Johnny Lopez / Lone Wolf News and Media photos
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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.