By Halie Johnson and Jenny Kirchner
Alcohol was a factor in a traffic collision Saturday at around 3 a.m. on Lower Pine Crest in Idyllwild.
Three passengers of a 2007 Subaru Forester were transported to local hospitals after the driver, Nathan Dejarnette, 21 of Idyllwild, side-swiped a tree, causing him to lose control and careen down an embankment, running into a carport and hitting the Chevy El Camino parked inside.
California Highway Patrol Officer David Kling did not arrest Dejarnette for driving under the influence, as he passed a field sobriety test. Kling said the car was traveling at about 40 miles per hour. Kling said the passengers had all been drinking.
Ariel Torres, 20 of Idyllwild, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was transported to Hemet Valley Regional Medical Center for treatment of broken bones and lacerations.
David Rogelio, 29 of Ontario, and Ansel Chang, 24 of San Fernando, were transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center. Both men suffered lacerations and Chang was believed to have some broken bones.
A fifth occupant, Timothy Neven, 23 of Montrose, was treated on the scene for a laceration to his head, but was not transported to a hospital for treatment.
Witnesses say several of the car's occupants were belligerent after the crash and were running up and down the street looking for help. One passenger tried to flee the scene on foot, but was chased down by a neighbor. They apparently broke into a vacant home at some point before medics arrived looking for help.
Jenny K. did a great job taking these photos — poor woman, though, having to go out at 3 a.m. to cover this news story. Good thing the renter on Pine Crest wasn't home. This "accident" was bound to happen — almost every night (more like the wee morning hours), there are cars speeding recklessly on Highway 243 and Pine Crest. I'm sure alcohol is usually involved, and probably other stuff. We have a problem here. These people should be charged with whatever they can be charged with (breaking and entering, disturbing the peace, giving alcohol to a minor, etc.)
The top on North Circle at Four Corners seems to be a 55mph zone these days, no matter what time of day. The guy who drives the "Maximum Diesel" truck being one of the worst offenders. Slow down!
Beth:
Read the article again.
Even though the driver and group had been drinking, the driver was of drinking age, and the blood alcohol content was low enough to be legal. This was not charged as a D U I.
There was a passenger that was 20 yrs old, also been drinking, but that is barely a crime to drink at age 20 and be a passenger. Probably a few months away from turning 21.
Breaking and entering is allowed in an emergency when looking for help. This is not the same as robbery, home invasion or your precious homeless squatting into someones home.
These people were looking for help.
"Breaking and entering is allowed in an emergency when looking for help….These people were looking for help."
The idea that breaking & entering of private property, even if an emergency situation, seems especially specious- I'd be curious to know the specific laws you are referring to. Having been on-scene during this incident, and interacted directly with the person who broke into this home, I can tell you that intoxication clearly influenced this person's judgement as to how to seek help. It's hard to believe that the law would accommodate these kinds of actions, esp. when intoxication is clearly a factor.
It's about motive, and intent. Also ends to justify the means.
Granted judgement was impaired.
out of context example:
A person is not guilty of jay-walking, if they were trying to pull a child from harm that is in the middle of the street.
Cops do it all the time, violate privacy laws, breaking and entering, under the legitimate "probable cause" and the greater good.
Not saying that the drunk adults are cops or equate to a warrant, they were just trying to call for help or get medical attention for their friends. Granted – panic, alcohol, and bad judgement make for a sloppy series of events.
However, after the emergency has passed, the right thing to do is make good on the property damage, and apologize in good will.
Like I tell my niece, nothing good happens after 2AM.
Thank you Merrell! If these other people who are so quick to judge were in a similar situation, i would like to see what they would do!
If someone needs an emergency like this then going in there is not that bad. They were trying to find help.
With all due respect, if this obviously intoxicated person broke down your front door at 3 am, you might feel quite differently.
IdyLocal: I totally understand where you are coming from, as well as the people in the emergency situation. The police advice, is to never open your door to strangers, especially at Dark O'Clock, where it's always some emergency excuse to barge in for home invasion, robbery, murder. The police recommend talking through the closed door, but offering to phone in 9-1-1 on their behalf without granting access to the inside of the home.
Lately, I'm worried a lot, having young women in my immediate family, if they were in trouble, and we were running door to door screaming for help, but no one opening up to provide help.
There is no easy answer. Perceived desperation to save life can cause persons to break in a home to find a phone, or find a first aid kit.
Generally I would think it's dangerous to bust in someone's home for a weak emergency such as a flat tire, because the resident being suddenly disturbed might respond with a defensive shotgun.
But it's apparent in this case, that they didn't intentionally crash the car in a tree and garage to justify raiding a bedroom jewelry box.