Local News

Fatal accidents mark holiday weekend at dunes
BY BRYON WELLS, SUN STAFF WRITER
Nov 26, 2006

Four people died in accidents in and around the Imperial San Dunes Recreation Area during the Thanksgiving holiday that saw crowds of about 180,000 people, officials said Sunday.

Lines of recreational vehicles could be seen about a mile long Sunday as the mass exodus of revelers left the sand dunes west of Yuma. But for the most part, officials said, it was a routine holiday season at the dunes, a popular spot for dirtbikes, sand rails, bonfires and of course, beer.

"It was about the usual crowd of 180,000 people," said Steve Razo with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which manages the area.

"That's typical for a holiday weekend. From an overall management position, everybody is saying it was relatively calm. I was all over the dunes yesterday and everything seemed orderly."

The popular spot challenges authorities because many of the injuries occur far away from major roads, out in the expansive hills of sand.

Joe Miller, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, said the El Centro CHP station handled three fatal accidents in and around the dunes, and there was one on Interstate 8, which cuts through the area.

There were also 26 drunken driving arrests involving motorists in and around the dunes and on the highway, Miller said.

"It was busy," Miller said. "We had a lot of DUIs."

U.S. Border Patrol agents were also out in the dunes, including the agency's Border Search Trauma and Rescue Team (BORSTAR), said agent Lloyd Easterling.

"With so many people out there on the dunes, they (agents) are out there for two reasons," Easterling said. "First, it might might be easier for smugglers to get through and blend in with the crowds. ... (Second) they are an asset because of their medical experience."

Razo said the crowd and the number of medical or enforcement actions were a little smaller compared to last year's.

Still, the riders kept BLM officers busy. There were 131 medical calls and 753 law enforcement actions, which included tickets for safety violations, drunken driving and other violations. In one incident, BLM officers gave a drunk-in-public citation to an off-duty corrections officer, and in another area, officers had to break up a large group that was beginning to become unruly, Razo said.

But on Sunday, things were winding down.

"Today is departure day, and riding is down to a minimum," he said. "Someone might get hurt from now to sundown, but the majority of people have or are leaving."

For 16-year-old Amanda Cavrales of Yuma, it was her first time visiting the dunes and experiencing the fanatical culture that accompanies them.

"It was fun, but a little sandy," Cavrales said.

Invited by her aunt, said she was amazed as to how many people come out "to play in sand."

"They're crazy," she said of the riders. "They like to show off their toys."

Will she come back be back?

"Maybe, but when it not so packed," she said. "There were a lot of drunk people. It was a big crowd, but everybody got along."

Bryon Wells can be reached at bwells@yumasun.com or 539-6852.

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