Vehicle Pursuit Ends In Green Valley Lake

Big Bear, Ca, January 3, 2012, 4:00pm – The New Year didn’t start so well for a group of six juveniles that were visiting the Big Bear Valley.  At approximately 8:05 am on January 1^st, Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Strange noticed a vehicle-traveling west bound on Big Bear Blvd near the China Gardens area with a passenger side door open, and a passenger hanging out of the door.  The deputy quickly turned around and attempted to pull over the vehicle.  When the driver failed to yield, a pursuit ensued, with the vehicle driving through the village, down Big Bear Blvd, towards the Dam where Sheriff’s Deputies were going to attempt to stop the vehicle with a PIT maneuver, a Pursuit Intervention Technique.  Due to traffic, the deputy did not perform the PIT maneuver, and allowed the vehicle to continue down the front grade, where the California Highway Patrol had been notified, and helped set up a road block at Green Valley Lake.  The roadblock forced the vehicle to turn into Green Valley Lake, which dead ends.  The vehicle voluntarily pulled over when they got into the Green Valley Lake area.  The driver was taken to juvenile detention, and the other 5 juveniles were released to an authorized adult.  According to the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station, none of the juveniles were under the influence of drugs of alcohol, and that no other incidents occurred because of the pursuit.