Navy Serviceman killed after crashing into big rig in Beaumont
BEAUMONT, Calif., — Authorities say a 31-year-old United States Navy Serviceman was killed when he crashed into the back of a big rig while traveling through Beaumont early Friday morning, April 1. Although the victim’s name has not yet been released, officials say he had been stationed the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms and was from Burgaw, North Carolina.
The fatal accident, which happened on Interstate 10 at the Beaumont Avenue offramp, forced the temporary partial closure of the freeway and offramp with significant delays in travel time reported, according to officials.
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California Highway Patrol – San Gorgonio Pass and Cal Fire – Riverside, along with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Beaumont Police Department and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene around 12:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision involving a passenger vehicle and tractor-trailer combo, CHP has since reported.
When officials arrived, they found a dark-colored Kia Sportage that had smashed into the back of a 2019 Freightliner towing a 53-foot trailer. The small hatchback was wedged under the back of the trailer and had sustained severe front-end damage with major encroachment into the passenger compartment.
Officials spent several hours working at the scene of Friday’s fatal collision that killed a US Navy Serviceman. Beaumont News / EN3 News photo
Despite life-saving efforts, the driver of the Kia succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.
During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined the Kia had been traveling westbound on I-10 east of Beaumont Avenue when he plowed into the back of the rig’s trailer, which had stopped in the freeway’s number four lane for stopped traffic.
“The Kia was traveling at an unknown speed … (and) … as a result of the collision, the driver of the Kia suffered blunt force head trauma and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said CHP.
CHP’s investigation is continuing and anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Officer K. McCallum at the San Gorgonio Pass Area CHP office at (951) 769-2000. Callers 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.