INCIDENT SHE SAYS HANS HER.
ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROADWAYS, A CALL TO ACTION ROADSIDE, A MESSAGE DRIVERS TO BE VIGILANT IT COMES TO FELLOW TRAVELERS, REPORT DRUNK DRIVERS, CALL 911.
>> I AM DRIVING BEHIND SOMETHING THAT HASN’T BEEN VERY, VERY WRONG WITH THEM.
>> WHERE ARE THEY TRAVELING?
MAX: THE WOMAN MAKING THIS CALL IS DEIRDRA, MOTIVATED TO CALL BASED ON THOSE MODES -- THOSE ROADSIDE REMINDERS.
SHE CALLED ON FEBRUARY 22.
>> WAS GOING TO A CLIENT’S HOUSE IN THE MORNING AROUND 9:00 AND I GOT ON THE FREEWAY, 99 NORTH.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET OFF JUST BEFORE LODI.
MAX: THIS DRIVE WOULD TAKE HER FAR PAST LODI, ALL THE WAY TO SACRAMENTO.
>> RIGHT AFTER I GOT ON THE FREEWAY, I NOTICED A CAR CAUSING PROBLEMS.
MAX: WHAT APPEARS TO BE AFFORDED ESCAPE ON AN UNPREDICTABLE DRIVE.
THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED TO HER.
>> TRIED TO CHANGE LANES AND RAN A GUY IN A BLACK SEDAN OUT OF THIS POINT COMPLETELY.
HE MANAGED TO AVOID HER AND SHE WENT BACK IN HER LANE AND HE WENT BACK IN HIS LINE.
MAX: SHE FIGURED IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A BAD LANE CHANGE, THAT IT CONTINUED GOOD >> -- CONTINUED.
>> I WAS GOING, CELL PHONE DRIVERS.
THEN SHE LEFT HER LANE COMPLETELY, ON THE MEDIAN AND KICKING UP ROCKS.
MAX: DEIRDRA TRIED TO PASS THE DRIVER AND THIS IS WHAT SHE SAW, A CIGARETTE WITH HER ARM OUT THE WINDOW AND SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG.
>> SHE IS SWERVING BACK AND FORTH?
>> SHE HAS A MOST RUN OFF THE ROAD, SHE’S GOING 30 MILES PER HOUR AND THEN 80.
MAX: DEIRDRA DECIDED TO FOLLOW HER.
THINGS GOT WORSE.
SHE AGAIN CALLED 911 AS A WOMAN BEHIND THE WHEEL LOST CONTROL CLEARED -- CONTROL.
>> SHE SWERVED, AND THEN KEPT GLIDING TO THE RIGHT AND THEN -- >> I JUST CALLED ABOUT A LADY THAT HAS SOMETHING REALLY WRONG WITH HER DRIVING AND SHE JUST HAD SOMEONE.
MAX: THE CALL CONTINUES.
>> DID YOU GET A PLATE NUMBER?
>> I DID, I REPORTED IT THE FIRST TIME.
>> YOU CALL THIS IN ALREADY?
>> I DID, BUT NOBODY’S COMING AND SHE’S GOING TO KILL SOMEONE.
MAX: THE DISPATCHER SAY CALLS GO OUT TO HER UNITS.
NEITHER THE WOMAN IN THE SUV OR THE TANKER STOPPED, THE DRIVER OF THE TANKER SEEMINGLY UNAWARE THEY HAD BEEN HIT.
DEIRDRA CALLED A THIRD TIME.
>> SHE WENT STRAIGHT BACK ON THE FREEWAY.
MAX: AND AGAIN AS SHE NEARED ANOTHER EXECUTED -- ANOTHER EXIT >
T.
>> DO NOT FOLLOW HER.
I NEED TO SYSTEM FOLLOWING HER, IT IS NOT SAFE.
>> YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CATCH HER.
>> WE HAVE IT OUT TO OUR UNITS, JUST KEEP TAKING PRECAUTIONS FOR YOUR SAFETY.
MAX: FOUR CALLS A NEARLY 30 MILES OF HIGHWAY, THE LAST WITH THE DISPATCHER FOLLOWING PROTOCOL, AND TELLING HER HE WOULD HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE CALL IF SHE CONTINUES TO FOLLOW
THE WOMAN IN THE SUV.
THAT DRIVER NEVER STOPPED, NEVER EVALUATED BY HIGHWAY PATROL.
>> THERE ARE SERIOUS ISSUES ABOUT HER DRIVING AND SAFETY, AND I ABSOLUTELY THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPREHENDED OR AT LEAST STOPPED.
MAX: THIS OFFICER SAYS THE WOMAN WASN’T STOPPED BECAUSE OTHER EMERGENCY CALLS PREVENTED OFFICERS FROM BEING ABLE TO CATCH UP TO THE DRIVER.
>> OUR FIRST CALL WAS IN THE STOCKTON AREA COME AND THE NEAREST UNIT WAS SOUTH OF HER LOCATION TIED ON A CALL.
THE NEXT UNIT BEYOND THAT WAS ANOTHER SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF THAT.
MAX: HE EXPLAINED THAT DEIRDRA WAS A A FEW MILES FROM THE BOUNDARY WITH SOUTH SACRAMENTO PD, SO STOCKTON COULD NOT HAVE CAUGHT UP, MOVING IT TO SACRAMENTO CHP.
>> IT’S AN UNFORTUNATE SERIES OF EVENTS.
THE UNIT WAS ASSIGNED TO A PEDESTRIAN CALL ON THE FREEWAY, WHICH IS A PRIORITY CALL OVER WHAT SHE WAS WITNESSING ON THE ROADWAY.
MAX: IMMEDIATELY AFTER, CHP RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT A NOT INJURY CRASH THAT ALSO TOOK PRIORITY OVER THE WOMAN IN THE SUV WHO COLLIDED WITH THE TANKER.
>> IN THE SITUATION, WE HAVE A NON-INJURY HIT AND RUN TRAFFIC COLLISION AND THERE IS NO VICTIM BECAUSE NO ONE STOPPED.
THE TRUCK TO NO-CALL, THERE’S NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ABOUT A VICTIM.
MAX: ACCORDING TO HARRIS, THIS IS NOT A STAFFING ISSUE.
>> WE WERE APPROPRIATELY STAFFED FOR THAT DAY AS MOST DAYS, JUST THE WAY THIS PLAYED OUT AND THE SERIES OF EVENTS, IT WAS A PERFECT STORM OF THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT
FOR AN OFFICER TO GET INTO POSITION IN THOSE 22 MINUTES.
MAX: HE ADDS SHE LIKELY WOULD OF BEEN CAUGHT IF OFFICERS WERE NOT ON OTHER CALLS.
>> HAD WITH OPPORTUNITY, AN OFFICER WOULD HAVE INTERVENED.
MAX: THESE ARE STOPS RARELY END IN ARREST.
IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1394 CALLS WERE MADE TO SACRAMENTO CHP, AS WELL AS TRACY AND STOCKTON.
THOSE CALLS RESULTED IN 51 ARRESTS, OR ABOUT 4% OF ALL CALLS.
>> I THINK THAT NUMBER IS FANTASTIC.
JUST UNDER 4% ARREST RATE FOR 911 CALLERS IS HUGE.
IT SHOWS WE TAKE THE CALL SERIOUSLY AND WORK TO APPREHEND AND IDENTIFY THESE PARTIES.
WHEN THEY ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, WE TAKE THEM OFF THE ROAD.
MAX: HE SAYS THE VAST MAJORITY OF 911 CALLS ARE ONE TIME COLORS THAT DON’T FOLLOW UP, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR AN OFFICER TO STOP A DRIVER SUGGESTED -- SUSPECTED OF BEING IMPAIRED.
>> I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO THINK CALLING 911 IS NOT EFFECTIVE, THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
MAX: BUT IN THIS CASE, THE CALL WAS NOT ANSWERED.
>> IT IS HAUNTING ME.
MAX: LEAVING DEIRDRA WITH THE MEMORY OF THE DAMAGE TO THAT CAR.
>> HER PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS SO DAMAGED IT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.
THE CORNER PANEL WAS COMPLETELY GONE.
I HAVE NO CLUE HOW SHE DID NOT SPIN OUT AND WRECK AFTER HITTING THE TRUCK.