Driver, 54, dies after fiery crash into tree off Hwy 60 in Moreno Valley
MORENO VALLEY, Calif., — Authorities say a local man has died after a fiery, head-on crash into a tree at the 60 / 215 Freeway Interchange just west of Day Street, along the border of the cities of Moreno Valley and Riverside, Saturday afternoon, April 2.
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California Highway Patrol, Moreno Valley Sheriff’s deputies, City of Riverside police officers, Cal Fire – Riverside, and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 4 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of a fiery crash involving a small passenger sedan that plowed into a tree and burst into flames.
When officials arrived, they found several witnesses and good Samaritans who had pulled a critically injured victim from a heavily damaged silver Hyundai Accent. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames about fifty yards away.
Firefighters are seen extinguishing a vehicle fire after a crash that killed a driver in Moreno Valley yesterday afternoon. Johnny Lopez – Lone Wolf News and Media / OnScene TV photo
Despite life-saving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene. The Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has since identified Andrew Matlock, 54, of Moreno Valley, as the driver killed in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 4:11 p.m.
Several passersby who had attempted to save the victim’s life told CHP they were pulling the victim from the wrecked Hyundai when they noticed black smoke coming from the engine area of the car. Despite the personal danger to their own lives, the good Samaritans managed to pull the driver from the vehicle moments before the vehicle burst into flames and caught fire.
While firefighters worked to extinguish the vehicle blaze and CHP officers investigated the cause of the deadly crash a Sig-Alert was issued, with some delays in travel times reported by area residents.
CHP has not yet released any information as to what may have led to the fatal crash and their investigation is continuing.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Johnny Lopez – Lone Wolf News and Media / OnScene TV photos above, video below.
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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). 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.