Nuevo man, 35, killed in four-vehicle crash ID’d after fleeing from Hemet officers on stolen motorcycle
UPDATED: Sunday, May 8, 10:14 a.m., With release of Coroner’s information.
Originally Published: Friday, May 6, 6:45 a.m.
HEMET, Calif., — Authorities say a man on a stolen motorcycle who was seen driving recklessly and running a stop sign before fleeing from an officer who attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop was killed moments later when he plowed into another vehicle at a busy Hemet intersection Thursday morning, May 5.
The motorist the rider smashed into sustained minor injuries in the fatal collision, which happened at the intersection of Florida and Lyon avenues, according to officials. Two other involved drivers were uninjured in the four-vehicle crash.
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At around 10:30 a.m., a City of Hemet PD Motorcycle Officer was conducting extra traffic enforcement in the area of Mayberry Avenue and Panorama Drive due to repeated complaints of speeding and reckless driving from area residents, Hemet PD Lieutenant Eric Dickson said the day of the fatal crash.
“The officer saw a male subject riding a green ‘sport bike’ motorcycle, drive westbound through the intersection without stopping for the posted ‘stop’ sign,” Dickson explained, saying, “The officer followed the sport bike rider and as the subject turned north onto Lyon Ave., the officer initiated an enforcement stop.”
Dickson went on to say that despite the officer’s lights and siren, the rider of the stolen green Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle immediately accelerated away “at a very high rate of speed”. However, the officer chose not to pursue the speeding motorcycle due to traffic conditions at the time, which Dickson described as “fairly heavy”.
Although not being pursued, the motorcyclist continued accelerating northbound and went through the intersection of Acacia Avenue without slowing down or stopping and then continued northbound and attempted to cross Florida Avenue against a red signal “at speeds estimated to be significantly greater than 70 miles per hour,” Dickson continued.
While attempting to cross the busy intersection without slowing or stopping, the rider smashed broadside into a white PT Cruiser that was driving west on Florida in the number one, westbound lane
The force of the impact ejected the rider, who was thrown a considerable distance from the point of impact and landed on top of a gray Ford that was stopped facing south in the southbound lane of Lyon, just north of Florida Avenue.
The impact also caused the PT Cruiser to veer into the number two westbound lane, where it collided into a gray Hyundai before plowing through a roadside sign.
The motor officer who had attempted to make the initial traffic stop arrived at the scene about a minute later according to Dickson, and immediately began coordinating medical aid for the critically injured rider and the occupants of the other vehicles who were involved in the high-speed crash.
The motorcyclist was rushed by ground ambulance to Hemet Global Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
The Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has since identified Cody Atchley, 35, of Nuevo, as the rider who died in the collision. A Coroner’s release indicated he was pronounced deceased at 11:42 a.m.
The driver of the PT Cruiser was also transported to Hemet Hospital for complaint of wrist pain, while the other two involved drivers were uninjured in the fatal crash.
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Investigating officers determined the motorcycle Atchley was riding had been reported as stolen from the Hemet area the day before the accident and their collision investigation is continuing.
The intersection where the crash occurred was partially closed for several hours but was reopened later the same day.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Hemet PD at (95) 765-2400. Callers can refer to incident file number 2022-02850 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). 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.