New details released after second deadly Ramona Expressway accident on same day claims life of Nuevo man, 88
UPDATED: Sunday, March 20, 9:36 a.m., With Sheriff’s release of information.
Originally Published: Saturday, March 19, 11:52 a.m.
See Original Story below.
SAN JACINTO, Calif., — Sheriff’s officials today released new information regarding the cause of a deadly four-vehicle collision near the border of San Jacinto and Lakeview early Thursday morning, March 17. The multi-vehicle crash claimed the life of an 88-year-old Nuevo man and sent another person to the hospital.
The accident, which happened on Ramona Expressway, approximately one mile west of N. Warren Road, was the second to occur on Ramona Expressway on the same day, with the other collision happening about four miles to the west in the area of Ramona Expressway and Hansen Avenue around forty minutes earlier. The earlier crash, which was the result of excessive speed, illegal passing, and impatient driving, resulted in the death of a 21-year-old San Jacinto man, according to officials.
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According to newly released details, a truck with a small trailer attached was traveling eastbound on Ramona Expressway when traffic stopped in front of him. The driver of the truck veered left into the westbound lanes of Ramona Expressway to avoid colliding into vehicles stopped in front of him.
“This caused to driver of the truck to collide into a black Jeep Wrangler stopped in front of him, a Nissan Frontier traveling westbound on Ramona Expressway, and into a white Jeep Wrangler, also traveling westbound on Ramona Expressway,” Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Dawn Blair reported this morning.
The driver of the truck and white Jeep Wrangler had to be extricated from the vehicles by Cal Fire – Riverside firefighters and both drivers were transported to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley by American Medical Response.
Despite extensive life-saving efforts by hospital staff, the driver of the truck, since identified by the Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office as 88-year-old Francisco Salgado, was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.
The drivers of the black Jeep Wrangler and Nissan Frontier were not injured.
SEE RELATED UPDATE: Second victim, 67, dies after four-vehicle rollover wreck in San Jacinto that killed Nuevo man, 88
The San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station Traffic Collision Team responded to the location and assumed the investigation and determined that alcohol and/or drug intoxication was not suspected as a contributing factor in the fatal crash.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is urged to contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Station at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I220760012 and can remain anonymous.
Original Story: Second deadly Ramona Expressway accident on same day claims life of Nuevo man, 88
SAN JACINTO, Calif., — Although few details have been released, officials have identified a man who was killed in a deadly four-vehicle collision near the border of San Jacinto and Lakeview early Thursday morning, March 17. The accident, which caused significant delays in travel times for area residents and early morning commuters, happened on Ramona Expressway, approximately one mile west of N. Warren Road, according to officials.
The deadly crash was the second to occur on Ramona Expressway on the same day, with the other collision happening about four miles to the west in the area of Ramona Expressway and Hansen Avenue around forty minutes earlier. That crash, which was the result of excessive speed, illegal passing, and impatient driving, resulted in the death of a 21-year-old San Jacinto man.
SEE RELATED: San Jacinto man, 21, ID’d after fatal Ramona Expressway head-on collision in Nuevo
California Highway Patrol – San Gorgonio Pass, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Fire – Riverside, and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 6:20 a.m. after receiving reports of a multi-vehicle collision with entrapment, according to Cal Fire.
When officials arrived, they found three involved vehicles, described by one witness as a white Nissan Frontier, a newer model white Jeep Wrangler, a black Jeep Wrangler, and a small Nissan pickup truck with a trailer.
Two of the occupants were found injured and trapped in their vehicles, and firefighters performed separate cut and rescue operations to free them from their vehicles.
Paramedics were seen evaluating and treating those injured in the collision, including one victim who was rushed to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in critical condition. Despite extensive life-saving efforts at the hospital, the man succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
The Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has since identified Francisco Salgado, 88, of Nuevo, as the driver killed in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased about three hours later at 9:37 a.m.
A second victim was also transported to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries, according to Cal Fire.
Area resident Patsy Eaton, who was one of several good Samaritans who came to the aid of the injured drivers in the immediate aftermath of the collision told RCNS today that she has not stopped thinking about the crash since it happened.
“I’ve wondered many times if the person In the pickup survived,” Eaton explained.
“It all happened very fast,” Eaton continued, saying, “I was out of my car in just a couple of seconds, and headed for the Jeep, which was the closest to me. But I could hear that driver moaning and I knew he was alive, so I went to try and help the driver of the pickup instead.”
“But when I went to the pickup and tried knocking on the windows and tried pulling open the doors, they were both locked, and there wasn’t anything I could do to get to the driver,” she continued, adding, “There was no response coming from inside pickup.”
“I’m truly sorry for his family’s loss. I’ve been praying for all involved since it happened,” she added.
Officials have not yet released any information as to what led to the deadly collision and contacted for further information, a Sheriff’s representative said the accident investigation is active and ongoing.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is urged to contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Station at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I220760012 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, 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). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories 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.