Don't drive through raging creeks

[sojourn]

This morning I received a call from a neighbor that a truck had been swept away in our rain-swollen creek.

We have been trying to prevent trespassing and keep dirtbikers off our properties and road, so I've been elected to be the neighborhood photographer and make a record everyone caught trespassing for the law authorities.

Here is what I found, early this morning:

Since we could not see inside the water-filled cab, we called 911 to alert for a possible drowning victim. Within a half-hour we had nearly ten law vehicles from fire rescue, sheriff, tow trucks and water rescue. Soon the CHP helicopter arrived to search downstream for bodies:

After nearly two hours a diving team arrived and opened up the truck's doors. Out swept trash, soccer cleats and other unidentifiable debris, but thankfully, no drowning victims!

Before leaving the scene, as I was getting very cold and my feet were wet, I took one last image of a blue hat floating and swirling around in the open door of the vehicle. I can only imagine the trouble someone is going to be in for losing this truck, the cost of the rescue efforts and the trespass charges to be brought on the hapless driver.

The moral of this story? Don't go where you are not supposed to go, and don't try to ford storm swollen creeks after torrential downpours.

An expensive mistake.

 

[Derrel]

Good post! I wonder if the vehicle might have been stolen...recently across the USA there have been numerous stolen vehicles abandoned in rivers and creeks. Apparently, the thieves steal the vehicles and then just take them to boat ramps to to areas adjacent to rivers, hop out, pull the vehicle into Drive, and let it drive itself into the river. In the case of this vehicle, I see a personal offroad vehicle or ATV in the bed of the pickup--makes me think somebody drove down a road looking for a place to go offroadin' with the ATV, tried to drive across the creek, engine stalled, they bailed out and hoofed it on home, and the raging creek took care of the rest! Hmmm....the mystery of an abandoned vehicle found in a flood-swollen creek.

I'l like to hear what the authorities determine happened once this gets straightened out.

 

[icassell]

Here in Phoenix we have a "stupid driver" law. This makes anyone who drives into flooded areas responsible financially for their own rescue. The cost of helicopter and emergency worker time adds up quickly! A lot of roads look like they have a little water on them and then turn out to be deeper than the unfortunate driver thought!

 

[sojourn]

The general consensus is that it was not stolen (although I bet they call it in as stolen! ;-) ), but just some locals trying to sneak past us to go and ride. This truck has been seen on the road before.

We're in the process of closing the access to the creek due to abuse of our dirt road (70 mph races!) and we have photo cataloged nearly 20 different riders in the last month. We're trying to circumvent a very noisy and dusty summer.

This creek has hosted its share of stolen and abandoned vehicles, parties, meth labs in trailers, some of which have been set on fire and left to burn. I've been awakened at 2am to the sound of exploding tires in the past. It was getting to the point that I could only go down there early in the morning or not at all.


This is what it looks like in calmer, warmer times:

 

[Mulewings~]

2 yrs ago in the WI~MN floods we lost people trying to drive through places where water was across small bridges.

Whoops.
No bridge under the water.


Hope you can control trespassers....

 

[rallysman]

Windows rolled up, door shut? They didn't try too hard to get it out!

/GET OFF MY LAWN!

 

[sojourn]

The drowned truck has been freed from the creek tonight by Lassen Canyon’s tractor crew. With a grinding tug through gravel and spinning tractor wheels, the vehicle was pulled up on the bank this evening.

It is obvious that this was not a stolen rig. Nothing had been stripped, nice wheels, tires, three-wheeler and a cab full of someone’s soggy belongings.

A pink address book lay on the foot well, suitcases and bags and a very ruined stereo set sat dripping.

I thought this last photo says it all. It wasn’t a thrasher before…but it has become one in quite a hurry! How prophetic.

 

[onthesetflickr]

Cool shot. I am sure this was one of those days he wished he'd stayed in bed.

 

[den9]

you dont know how to have fun do you? i dont think photos of a license plate-less dirt bike with a helmet covering riders faces is going to help you catch anyone. not that police really stand a chance in these types of chases.

 

[den9]

even if you have 500 incident photos, if hes caught once, he will only be charged once.

 

[tertius]

even if you have 500 incident photos, if hes caught once, he will only be charged once.

May not be true, not sure on her local/state laws. Hopefully they will get as many charges as necessary.

Besides, they didn't "Ford" through the river, then attempted to "Chevy" through!!!:lmao: