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Monday, May 26, 2008
California Highway Patrol officers arrested the motorcyclist allegedly involved in a high-speed pursuit Saturday night that resulted in an officer wrecking his cruiser and the rder escaping.
David Benalt, 21, from Reno was interviewed and booked by CHP investigators Tuesday evening. Benalt is currently being held in custody at the Placer County Jail in Auburn with bail set at $75,000, according to Officer Steve Skeen with the CHP’s Truckee office.
Benalt faces felony charges of evading a police officer and causing injuries.
Authorities will meet with Benalt today at 1 p.m. at the courthouse in Auburn.
“We were able to track him down and make contact with him,” Skeen said. “And he actually came into our office.”
Skeen said the motorcycle’s license plates, registration and a fingerprint lifted from the vehicle, among other clues, led investigators to Benalt.
Officer James Giraudo, who sustained moderate injuries in Saturday’s pursuit, has been released from Renown Medical Center in Reno and is recovering from his injuries.
The case remains under investigation, and officers are still trying to piece together the details from Saturday nights’ events, said Skeen.
Investigators are in the process of creating a history of where Benalt went after he allegedly abandoned his motorcycle at the golf course in Squaw Valley, Skeen said. Benalt’s motivation for allegedly evading police officers has yet to be determined as well.
Skeen said the pursuit began at the intersection of Highway 267 and Interstate 80 and wrapped through Kings Beach and then Tahoe City towards Squaw Valley. At approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Giraudo began pursuing an unidentified motorcyclist traveling northbound on Highway 89 south, according to a CHP release.
While attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Squaw Valley Road in pursuit of the driver, Giraudo lost control of his patrol vehicle and struck a light pole. The vehicle rotated backwards and ended up in a ditch on the northwest corner of the intersection.
Skeen said three other units were en route at the time of the collision. A helicopter was involved in the search of the rider after the collision, but was not involved in the pursuit.
— Sun staff reports
David Benalt, 21, from Reno was interviewed and booked by CHP investigators Tuesday evening. Benalt is currently being held in custody at the Placer County Jail in Auburn with bail set at $75,000, according to Officer Steve Skeen with the CHP’s Truckee office.
Benalt faces felony charges of evading a police officer and causing injuries.
Authorities will meet with Benalt today at 1 p.m. at the courthouse in Auburn.
“We were able to track him down and make contact with him,” Skeen said. “And he actually came into our office.”
Skeen said the motorcycle’s license plates, registration and a fingerprint lifted from the vehicle, among other clues, led investigators to Benalt.
Officer James Giraudo, who sustained moderate injuries in Saturday’s pursuit, has been released from Renown Medical Center in Reno and is recovering from his injuries.
The case remains under investigation, and officers are still trying to piece together the details from Saturday nights’ events, said Skeen.
Investigators are in the process of creating a history of where Benalt went after he allegedly abandoned his motorcycle at the golf course in Squaw Valley, Skeen said. Benalt’s motivation for allegedly evading police officers has yet to be determined as well.
Skeen said the pursuit began at the intersection of Highway 267 and Interstate 80 and wrapped through Kings Beach and then Tahoe City towards Squaw Valley. At approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Giraudo began pursuing an unidentified motorcyclist traveling northbound on Highway 89 south, according to a CHP release.
While attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Squaw Valley Road in pursuit of the driver, Giraudo lost control of his patrol vehicle and struck a light pole. The vehicle rotated backwards and ended up in a ditch on the northwest corner of the intersection.
Skeen said three other units were en route at the time of the collision. A helicopter was involved in the search of the rider after the collision, but was not involved in the pursuit.
— Sun staff reports
Labels: CHP, high speed chase, Motocycle
Motorcyclist who ran from CHP still at large
By Jenny Goldsmith
Sierra Sun,
California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the identity of a motorcyclist involved in a high-speed pursuit Saturday night that resulted in Officer James Giraudo sustaining moderate injuries.
At approximately 10 p.m. Saturday, Giraudo began pursuing an unidentified motorcyclist traveling northbound on Highway 89 south, according to a CHP release.
While attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Squaw Valley Road in pursuit of the driver, Giraudo lost control of his patrol vehicle and struck a light pole. The vehicle rotated backwards and ended up in a ditch on the northwest corner of the intersection, according to the CHP.
Giraudo was flown to Renown Medical Center in Reno where he remains in the intensive care unit for moderate injuries, said CHP Officer Steve Skeen.
Officers are following up on several leads to identify the motorcyclist, who’s vehicle was found abandoned on the golf course in Squaw Valley, Skeen said.
The motorcycle’s license plates were left on, and officers are investigating the registered owner and may fingerprint the vehicle to identify the unknown suspect, Skeen said.
The CHP has a policy to pursue a motorist purposefully without endangering the officer’s safety, said Jennifer Steel, a CHP officer and pursuit reporting coordinator.
Pursuits generally follow a vehicle code violation, stolen vehicle report or a warrant for arrest, Steel said.
The policy adds that a pursuit should be terminated when “the risks outweigh the benefits,” Steel said.
Officers should take into consideration traffic safety, pedestrians, bicyclists, school zones and heavily populated areas when considering a pursuit, she said.
Additionally, officers would no longer continue to pursue a vehicle once the driver is identified, Steel said.
The Truckee Police Department’s pursuit policy — which is similar to the CHP policy — became a public concern in 2004 when Chief Scott Berry was involved in the fatal chase of 20-year-old motorcyclist David Lee Kurrle in Glenshire.
The deadly chase spurred some Truckee residents to ask for a change in the pursuit policy, such as terminating high-speed chases in residential areas. However, the policy remains the same, said Truckee Police Sgt. Tim Hargrove.
Anyone with information about Saturday’s accident or the identity of the motorcyclist can call the CHP at 582-7570.
Sierra Sun,
California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the identity of a motorcyclist involved in a high-speed pursuit Saturday night that resulted in Officer James Giraudo sustaining moderate injuries.
At approximately 10 p.m. Saturday, Giraudo began pursuing an unidentified motorcyclist traveling northbound on Highway 89 south, according to a CHP release.
While attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Squaw Valley Road in pursuit of the driver, Giraudo lost control of his patrol vehicle and struck a light pole. The vehicle rotated backwards and ended up in a ditch on the northwest corner of the intersection, according to the CHP.
Giraudo was flown to Renown Medical Center in Reno where he remains in the intensive care unit for moderate injuries, said CHP Officer Steve Skeen.
Officers are following up on several leads to identify the motorcyclist, who’s vehicle was found abandoned on the golf course in Squaw Valley, Skeen said.
The motorcycle’s license plates were left on, and officers are investigating the registered owner and may fingerprint the vehicle to identify the unknown suspect, Skeen said.
The CHP has a policy to pursue a motorist purposefully without endangering the officer’s safety, said Jennifer Steel, a CHP officer and pursuit reporting coordinator.
Pursuits generally follow a vehicle code violation, stolen vehicle report or a warrant for arrest, Steel said.
The policy adds that a pursuit should be terminated when “the risks outweigh the benefits,” Steel said.
Officers should take into consideration traffic safety, pedestrians, bicyclists, school zones and heavily populated areas when considering a pursuit, she said.
Additionally, officers would no longer continue to pursue a vehicle once the driver is identified, Steel said.
The Truckee Police Department’s pursuit policy — which is similar to the CHP policy — became a public concern in 2004 when Chief Scott Berry was involved in the fatal chase of 20-year-old motorcyclist David Lee Kurrle in Glenshire.
The deadly chase spurred some Truckee residents to ask for a change in the pursuit policy, such as terminating high-speed chases in residential areas. However, the policy remains the same, said Truckee Police Sgt. Tim Hargrove.
Anyone with information about Saturday’s accident or the identity of the motorcyclist can call the CHP at 582-7570.
Labels: CHP, high speed chase, Motocycle, Truckee
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