CHP

CHP: RELY ON SOBER DRIVERS, NOT LUCK THIS ST. PATRICK’S DAY

East County News Service

March 16, 2022 (Sacramento) -- This St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reminds drivers to avoid taking chances and have a sober ride home if their plans include alcohol. Unfortunately, the party often ends with risky drunk drivers taking to the streets and endangering countless lives, and/or being arrested for drunk driving.


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CHP ISSUES "SNOW ETIQUETTE" GUIDELINES

East County News Service

File photo by Billy Ortiz

January 22, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- With heavy snow forecast in our local mountains over the next several days, the California Highway Patrol asks the public to practice good “snow etiquette” when visiting the Mount Laguna/Julian area.

The advisory aims to protect public safety, assure that travelers have chains or snow tires, respect private property, and help keep our mountain areas clean for residents. Law enforcement will be present enforcing these guidelines and laws.


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CHP STEPS UP SAFETY ENFORCEMENT ON SR 67 AKA "SLAUGHTERHOUSE ALLEY," TO PREVENT DEADLY MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

East County News Service
 
Photo: Creative Commons via Bing
 
June 17, 2020 (El Cajon) – California Highway Patrol (CHP) will deploy additional officers on State Route 67 from Interstate 8 in El Cajon to Ramona between June 21 and September 30. The goal is to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes caused by unsafe speed, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper turning, and other primary crash factor violations by motorcyclists and other drivers.
 
Many crashes in California end in death or injury as a result of individuals speeding or driving aggressively. From January-December 2019, provisional statistical data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) El Cajon Area database revealed 230 injury crashes involving motorcycles and 20 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in El Cajon
CHP’s boundaries.

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MORE CRASHES TIED TO CONCRETE BLOCKS CHP SAYS WERE LEFT INTENTIONALLY ON I-8 NEAR ALPINE

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 10, 2018 (Alpine) – California Highway Patrol seeks public help to find a person or persons who have been leaving 60-pound concrete parking blocks as well as cinder blocks on Interstate 8 near Alpine. Numerous vehicles have been damaged this year, starting in January. The most recent incidents occurred Saturday shortly after midnight, when eight to ten vehicles were damaged or disabled.


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CHP PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENFORCEMENT MARCH 8 IN SPRING VALLEY

 

East County News Service

March 5, 2018 (Spring Valley) -- As part of its ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety in Spring Valley, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), will be conducting a pedestrian safety enforcement operation that will focus on motorists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way or who take unsafe and illegal actions.  The enforcement operation will take place on March 8 at Troy Street west of Central Avenue in Spring Valley.


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RETIRED FIREFIGHTER BECOMES HIGHWAY “HERO” IN EAST COUNTY

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Jose Estrada from Cal rans presents Dan Russell with an award in appreciation of his tireless efforts

February 15, 2018 (Pine Valley/Campo) – Dan Russell worked 27 years for the San Diego Fire Department. Now he’s a local hero for a different reason – working tirelessly to clean up trash along Interstate 8 and other roadways in East County.

“I’ve been doing it now for 12 years,” says Russell.  “I would say I average five hours a day, six days a week.  I pick up just under a thousand pounds a month…real close to 10,000 pounds a year; over 100,000 pounds since I got started.”


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MISSING MOTORIST FOUND DEAD IN CRASH OFF I-8 NEAR LA POSTA

 

 

Update: The deceased has been identified as 18-year-old James Will, a Mountain Empire football star, East County Sports reports.

By Miriam Raftery

May 7, 2016 (La Posta) — A Campo man driving a 2004 Acura TSX was reported missing yesterday at 12:30 p.m. to the California Highway Patrol and Sheriff  after failing to reach his destination in Pine Valley, where he planned to pick up his great-grandmother at 6 a.m. yesterday morning. 


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TWO VEHICLE HEAD-ON COLLISION IN RAMONA

 

East County News Service

February 12, 2016 (Ramona) — Two drivers have been transported to Palomar Medical Center with major non-life threatening injuries after a head-on collision in Ramona yesterday at 1:18 p.m.


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MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN JAMUL

East County News Service

December 28, 2015 (Jamul) – Jae Han Chung, 25, of Chula Vista, died at the scene of a motorcycle crash December 26th at 12:53 p.m. in Jamul.

 


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DRIVER WITH PERSON IN TRUNK CAPTURED AFTER HIGH SPEED CHASE ON I-8, CRASH IN EL CAJON

 

November 12, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A woman who ran a Border Patrol checkpoint in Pine Valley, after agents found a person hidden in her trunk, led authorities on a chase at speeds up to 120 miles per hour last night. 

The chase began shortly before 5 p.m. and continued for 30 miles, despite tack strips laid down to try and half the driver, who was in a Ford Mustang. Border Patrol and California Highway Patrol officers were involved in the pursuit. The driver exited the freeway in El Cajon, where she crashed into the back of a Jeep s at Madison and Second Street, Customs and Border Patrol reports.  The CHP site and several media outlets reported that the suspect struck more than one vehicle.


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FREEWAY SHOOTING IN EAST COUNTY INJURES 2: CHP SEEKS SUSPECTS WHO FIRED FROM DARK SUV

 

East County News Service

November 5, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—Shots fired from a dark SUV that pulled alongside a Lexus traveling east on I-8 at Los Coches Road in unincorporated El Cajon at 12:57 a.m., injuring the driver and passenger.   

The driver of the Lexus, a 43-year-old woman from Alpine, and her passenger, a 31-year-old man, were transported by ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 


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SDGE BLAMES CAISO FOR DROPPING POWER TO 90,000 SAN DIEGO CUSTOMERS

 

East County News Service

September 21, 2015 (San Diego) – An estimated 90,000 San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) customers lost power for several hours on Sunday afternoon.  SDG&E tweeted at 2:02 p.m. Sunday that the California Independent Systems Organization known as CAISO ordered it to “drop 150 MW of load in our service territory at around 1:15 p.m.”  CAISO, a nonprofit, is responsible for maintaining the statewide power grid- in other words, keeping the lights on.


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CHP AND SUPERVISOR JACOB RESPOND TO ECM INQUIRY ON 10-HOUR CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 94

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Joseph Zatarain, Potrero Town on Facebook

August 18, 2015 (Jamul) – On Sunday, we reported on a 10-hour closure of State Route 94 last Friday due to a head-on collision involving a semi-truck that left many local residents stranded and angry by the long delays.  Our story included documentation of numerous past lengthy closures on the highway in the Jamul area provided by the Deerhorn Valley Antler editor.We asked the California Highway Patrol and Supervisor Dianne Jacob for comments on this serious issue.

Supervisor Jacob responded,  “The public has every reason to be outraged, given the length of the closure, the dangerously high temperatures that day and the lack of communication from state authorities. I will be sharing those concerns with the Caltrans, CHP and other state officials. Drivers are already at risk on this dangerous and congested state highway, and the situation will become even more dangerous if a casino opens. Thousands of lives are at risk in the event there is a need for an evacuation of the area with nowhere to go."

Kevin Pearlstein, public information officer for the California Highway Patrol in El Cajon, today advised East County Magazine that the delay was due in part to the truck shifting and dropping part of its load. 

"The truck was carrying a form of coal.  When the trailer opened up like a aluminum can it spilled everywhere," he said, adding that the prolonged road closure was due to cleanup of the coal spill.  The accident caused five injuries,two major and three minor to moderate, he added, and providing additional details:


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RESIDENTS SEEK ANSWERS AFTER 10-HOUR SHUTDOWN OF HIGHWAY 94

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Joseph Zatarain, Potrero Town on Facebook

August 16, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --Friday, August 14th was a rough day for motorists in East County. A motorhome sparked a dozen spot fires along 67, forcing closure of the highway and long delays for motorists while firefighters worked to douse the blazes.

Even longer delays were experienced by motorists along Highway 94, which was shut down for roughly 10 hours along the key border-region artery after a semi-truck collided head on with a vehicle carrying several passengers and rolled over.  Inadequate notifications from official channels left motorists stuck in traffic for hours during extreme heat of over 100 degrees and an ambulance was forced to take a lengthy detour.

“Something is wrong here,” says Kim Hamilton, Editor of the Deerhorn Valley Antler. The publication's Antler Alerts  provided the most reliable source of information for the public during most of the extended shutdown.  “Not only was the primary artery and evacuation route closed, but there was little media coverage of it while it was taking place.”


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AMBER ALERT SUSPECT DANIEL PEREZ TAKEN INTO CUSTODY; CHILDREN SAFE

 

December 11, 2014 (Santee) – Amber Alert suspect Daniel Perez was taken into custody this morning following a chase across East County, with his four children safe. According to CHP, Daniel Perez, 43, of Montebello, and his four sons was in his 2014 Toyota Camry and stopped on the onramp from State Route 52 to Highway 67 in Santee by barricades.


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SOLO VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTS IN A FATALITY

 

June 22, 2014 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man, 45, died at the scene of an accident that occurred on June 13 at 12:49 a.m. on State Route 52 east, just west of Cuyamaca Street.


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DROWSY DRIVER AWARENESS DAY IS APRIL 6: DROWSINESS CAN IMPAIR DRIVING AS MUCH AS ALCOHOL DOES

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – “My wife, Robyn, died when she fell asleep while driving on April 6, 1999 in Texas,” retired California Highway Patrol Officer Phil Konstantin recalls. “She was driving back to San Diego from Florida, where she had just picked up a car from her mother.” 

Since then, Konstantin has championed the cause of warning others about the dangers of driving drowsy.  In 2005, the California Legislature proclaimed April 6th—the date Robyn Konstantin died –as Drowsy Driver Awareness Day. 

On Monday, March 17, Konstantin will be a guest on the East County Magazine Radio Show. Tune in at 5 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM.

“I have always found it to be ironic that one of my duties  as  a California  Highway Patrol officer was to inform the public of the  dangers of driving  while drowsy. Yet, this is how my own wife died,” Konstantin says. “She was  an  excellent  driver. This just proves it can happen to anyone.” Ironically, she   drove past a freeway  rest area just moments before her crash, he added. You can learn more at his website: http://drowsydriverawarenessday.com and by scrolling down in this article.


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FATAL FOUR- -CAR CRASH ON 125

 

 

February 14, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—A Valentine’s Day crash at 1:44 p.m. today claimed the life of a 37-year-old San Diego man. According to the CHP, he was driving a Jaguar at high speed on State Route 125 northbound near San Miguel Ranch Road when he missed a curve and collided with the center median guardrail, tearing open the left side of his vehicle.


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'TIS THE SEASON FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

 

December 18, 2013 (San Diego) – As Californians ready for their holiday travels, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is set to begin its annual Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).  The two-day holiday enforcement effort is designed to help ensure the safety of the motoring public during a time when celebrations are in full swing. 

The MEP begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 25.  The effort coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over anti-driving under the influence (DUI) campaign, which began on December 13, 2013, and continues through January 1, 2014. 


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CHILD AND 3 ADULTS SUSTAIN LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES IN ALPINE ROLLOVER CRASH

 

October 23, 2013 (Alpine) – Four people sustained life-threatening major injuries in a rollover accident on westbound I-8 at East Willows Road in Alpine at 11:50 a.m. on October 21.   None were properly restrained in seat belts, according to CHP officer Kevin Pearlstein.

According to the CHP, a 28-year-old woman from Campo was driving a 2001 Ford Explorer westbound at about 70 miles per hour when her vehicle drifted onto the dirt center divide and rolled out.  A 2-year-old girl was ejected from the vehicle.  She was transported to Children’s Hospital.


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MOTORCYCLIST INJURED IN CRASH ON I-8 AT 125

October 22, 2013 (La Mesa) – A motorcyclist suffered a fractured arm and abrasions when he was struck from behind in a three-vehicle collision at 3:43 p.m. today at the junction of Interstate 8 and State Route 94.

According to the CHP, an Acura Integra driven by a 21-year-old from Spring Valley traveling westbound on I-8 was attempting to take a transition road to southbound 125 when traffic came to an abrupt stop. The driver swerved and skidded into the next lane, striking a Honda Magna motorcycle from behind and ejecting its driver onto the roadway.  The Acura also struck a Suburban driven by a 59-year-old Bonita man.


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CHP PROMOTES SCHOOL BUS SAFETY

 

October 22, 2013 (Sacramento) – School bus safety is a two-way street, a responsibility shared by professional school bus drivers and the rest of the motoring public.  To help bring awareness to the safe transportation of students throughout the state, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is proud to observe National School Bus Safety Week, October 21–25, 2013.

Nearly one million California students ride on school buses every day and more than 25,000 certified drivers are dedicated to providing safe transportation for children in the state.  These drivers go through 40 hours of intense training by the Department of Education, in addition to a rigorous certification process by the CHP, physical examinations, and drug tests.  Drivers must also possess a valid first aid and medical card and obtain a background clearance from the California Department of Justice.  Additionally, the CHP inspects and certifies every bus annually.


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CHP OBSERVES NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK

 

October 22, 2013 (Sacramento) – Nationwide, collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and California is not immune to this disturbing trend.  Each year, thousands of young drivers and their passengers are killed in collisions.  To help bring awareness to this national problem, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will participate in National Teen Driver Safety Week October 20-26, 2013.

“It only takes a second of inattention behind the wheel to cause a tragedy,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.  “This week we are dedicated to educating our inexperienced drivers on the dangers of unsafe driving and providing them with the information needed to be safe on our roadways.”


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RAMONA GIRL, 5, RUN OVER BY MOM IN FATAL ACCIDENT

October 18, 2013 (Ramona) – Bella Noble, A 5-year-old Ramona girl has died of injuries sustained when her mother, 42, accidentally backed over the child. The tragedy happened at 5:20 p.m. yesterday in the family's driveway on Carnation Road in Ramona, when the mother was backing her Chevrolet Astro van out to visit a friend. 

According to the CHP, the child ran behind the vehicle.

“The mother lost sight of her daughter and felt a bump at the rear of her vehicle and realized she may have struck her child.  Not realizing she had run over her daughter, she pulled forward and struck her child a second time,” said CHP Officer Tommy Doerr.


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GOVERNOR HONORS CHP OFFICER FOR BRAVERY

 

September 26, 2013 (Sacramento) – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recognized California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Dane Norem with the 2012 Governor’s Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for performing extraordinary acts of bravery on October 25, 2012.

While on duty, Officer Norem of the CHP’s Riverside Area office responded to a call of a potential suicidal subject attempting to jump off of a freeway overpass to the roadway below. Officer Norem arrived at the scene and observed an adult male climbing the overpass fence. While attempting to save the subject’s life by preventing him from jumping, Officer Norem was stabbed nine times, including in the eye, with a utility knife. Despite his injuries, and continually being stabbed, Officer Norem continued to hold onto the man’s leg until help arrived to take the man into custody.


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MAN IMPERSONATING POLICE OFFICER STEALS CAR AFTER PULLING OVER MOTORIST ON FREEWAY

 

CHP seeks witnesses to brazen mid-day theft

September 3, 2013 (San Diego) – The California Highway Patrol is warning motorists about two people in a white Crown Victoria equipped with flashing red and blue lights to resemble a police car.  The pair reportedly pulled over a Jeep near the junction of freeways 805 and 905 today at 1:05 p.m.. A Hispanic man wearing a black jacket with “police” across the chest and wearing what appeared to be a holstered handgun on his hip got out of the passenger side of the Crown Victoria. He asked the Jeep driver to get out, then stole the vehicle.


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CHP AND TRUCKING COMPANY RESPOND TO ECM QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUCK BREAKDOWN ON HIGHWAY 94

 

By Miriam Raftery

August 27, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – California Highway Patrol Sergeant Dave Dreher has responded to East County Magazine’s inquiry regarding a truck with over-sized load that broke down, sitting for two weeks on State Route 94 in Dulzura before it was finally removed last week. Residents had complained of long delays and inadequate notification.


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STUCK TRUCK REMOVED TWO WEEKS AFTER BREAKDOWN IN DULZURA, BUT RESIDENTS DEMAND ANSWERS TO SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS POSED

 

By Miriam Raftery; photo by Donnie Durfee

Rural residents are demanding answers and improved communications after a truck with an oversized load  broke down and blocked traffic on State Route 94 for over 50 hours.  Even after the road was cleared, the big rig remained on the shoulder at Marron Valley Road in Dulzura for two weeks before it was finally removed. 

Media was not warned and no Sig Alert was issued to alert residents prior to the oversized load taking to the highway, even though the slow-moving, extra-wide load obstructed traffic in both directions along the main evacuation route for residents in areas including Jamul, Deerhorn Valley, Potrero,  Barrett Junction and Tecate.

During the blockage, residents were forced to detour up to 90 miles, causing delays of many hours.  Yet a SigAlert was not issued until seven hours after the road was completely blocked by the mechanical breakdown.  Even before the breakdown, the oversized, slow-moving load obstructed traffic in both directions.  The load was about 231 feet long – yet posted signs indicate the maximum truck length allowed is 75 feet.  So why was this rig allowed to take this narrow route with many hairpin curves when straighter, wider routes to its destination were available?


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PRIVATE PLANE LANDS SAFELY ON STATE ROUTE 125

 

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

March 22, 2013 (Otay) -- This morning at 11:05, California Highway Patrol communications began receiving reports that a small private plane had been forced to land on the freeway after experiencing mechanical problems.  CHP officers responded to these reports and located the Cessna 150 on the right shoulder of State Route 125, near the Otay River Bridge. 


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MOTORCYCLIST STRUCK BY CAR ON HIGHWAY 78 SUSTAINS MAJOR INJURIES

 

March 18, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Shirley Frantum, 51, of Upland was riding her Harley Davidson east on Highway 78 on March 16 when she entered a curve east of San Felipe Road. She was struck by a Hyundai Sonata driven by Matthew Hon, 20, from Murrieta.

“According to witness statements, the Hyundai and the motorcycle entered the curve at approximately the same time.  The driver of the motorcycle was traveling on the double yellow lines," said Officer Brian Pennings with the California Highway Patrol. “ The Hyundai was driving close to the yellow lines, but still within the westbound lane.”


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