1 person killed in ATV crash in Salinas River near Soledad: CHP

HE HAS MORE ON THE DEADLY ACCIDENT INVOLVI NG ILLEGAL OFF- ROADING...LIVE OUTSIDE CHP HEADQUARTERS IN KING CITY.. ### DAN/ERIN.. A WATSONVILLE WOMAN THE LATEST PERSON TO LOSE THEIR LIFE IN THE SALINAS RIVERBED.. AND SHE'S THE THIRD PERSON KILLED AS A RESULT OF ILLEGAL OFF- ROADING IN THE LAST 7- MONTHS..### ILLEGAL OFF-ROADING IN THE SALINAS RIVERBED.. LEADING TO YETNO ATHER DEATH.. THIS TIME A 22 YEAR OLD WATSONVILLE WOMA. N. CRUSHED TO DEATH WHEN E SH ROLLED HER POLARIS RAZ, OR SATURDAY EVENING SOUTH OF SOLEDAD.. A FEMA LE PASSENGER WAS ALSO HUR. T. CHP INVESTIGATORS SAY DRUGS AND ALCOHOL WERE CO NTRIBUTING FACTORS.. (CHP 14:06 THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER S HA TAKEN EVERY AVENUE HE CAN TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHO ELSE WAS ON SCENE AND WHO ELSE MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE COLLISION :14) T-2 (GRAPHIC IN KILLED WAS JAQUELINE RUIZ OF WATSONVILLE.. HER DEATH FOLLOWING THE MURDERS OF TWOTO HER WATSONVILLE RESIDENTS BACK IN OCTOR BE WHO WERE SHOT TO DEATH WHILE ATTENDING A LAE RG OFF-ROADING PARTY IN THE RIVERBED THAT INVOLVED TACO TRUCKS AND LIVE BANDS.. GRAPHIC OUT) COUNTY SUPERVISOR CHRIS LOPEZ SAYS IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT CHOOKING OFF ALL ACCESS POINTS TO THE RIVER. 54-114 (CHRIS 10:32 WE'VE SEEN THE DISASTOUROUS OUTCOMES THAT ARE POSSIBLE FROM MY END ABSOLUTELY I THINK IT'S A RENEWED CONSERVATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WE NEED TO WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE KEY ACCESS POINTS AND SEE IF THERE ISN'T SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO BE PREPARED :46 AND TRY TO STING SOME OF THESE FOLKS 49 BUT IT'S ALMOST AS MUCH EDUCATION AS IT IS ENFORCEMENT 2):5 POLICE AND COUNTY LEADERS SAY THEY'RE SEEING AN UPTICK IN ILLEGAL F OF ROADING IN THE SALINAS RIVERBED.. AS OTHER LEGAL OFF ROADING SITES SCALE BACK OPERATIONS AROUND THE STATE.. (CHRIS 7:13 AND THOSE OPTIONS HAVE DWINDLED UP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND I THINK IT'S DRIVING PEOPLE TO MAKE BAD DECISIONS AND WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THESE OUTCOMES :19) A WARNING FROM THE CHP.. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING Y SA SOMETHING.. CALL 911.. (CHP 15:28 IF THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING IN E TH RIVERBED IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE AREA TO GIVE US A CALL AND LET US KNOW AND WE MIGHT BE AB LE TO RESPOND OUT AND PSIBLY OS STOP ONE OF THESE INCIDENTS FROM HAPPENING :38) IN SATURDAY'S INCIDENT INVESTIGATORS SAY THE TWO WOMEN WERE NOT WEARING HELMETS OR SEATBELTS .. THE CHP WARNING OTHERS.. THAT OFF- ROADING IN ANY PART OF THE SALINAS RIVERBED IS ILLEGAL.. REPORTING FROM KING CITY.. I'M FELIX CORTEZ KSBW ACTION NEWS 8.####

Illegal off-roading in the Salinas riverbed has claimed another life, this time a 22-year-old woman and she’s the third person to die as a result of the illegal activity in the past seven months.Investigators say Jaqueline Ruiz of Watsonville was crushed to death when she rolled her Polaris Razor, Saturday evening south of Soledad. A female passenger was also hurt and neither were wearing helmets or seatbelts according to investigators. The CHP says drugs and alcohol were contributing factors.“The investigating officer has taken every avenue he can to try and determine who else was on scene and who else might know something about the collision,” said Darin Meadors, spokesman for the CHP in King City.Saturday’s death of Ruiz follows the murders of two other Watsonville residents back in October who were shot to death while attending a large off-roading party in the riverbed that involved taco trucks and live bands.County supervisor Chris Lopez who represents the area, says it's time to look at chocking off all access points to the river.“We've seen the disastrous outcomes that are possible, from my end absolutely I think it's a renewed conservation that needs to happen we need to work with law enforcement to look at some of the key access points and see if there isn't something we can do to be prepared and try to sting some of these folks but it's almost as much education as it is enforcement,” Lopez said.Police and county leaders say they're seeing an uptick in illegal off-roading in the Salinas riverbed as other legal off-roading sites scale back operations around the state.“And those options have dwindled up over the last few years and I think it's driving people to make bad decisions and we're seeing some of these outcomes,” Lopez said.A warning from the CHP, if you see something say something; call 911.“If there are things happening in the riverbed it would be good for the residents of the area to give us a call and let us know and we might be able to respond out and possibly stop one of these incidents from happening,” said Meadors. #

SOLEDAD, Calif. —

Illegal off-roading in the Salinas riverbed has claimed another life, this time a 22-year-old woman and she’s the third person to die as a result of the illegal activity in the past seven months.

Investigators say Jaqueline Ruiz of Watsonville was crushed to death when she rolled her Polaris Razor, Saturday evening south of Soledad. A female passenger was also hurt and neither were wearing helmets or seatbelts according to investigators. The CHP says drugs and alcohol were contributing factors.

“The investigating officer has taken every avenue he can to try and determine who else was on scene and who else might know something about the collision,” said Darin Meadors, spokesman for the CHP in King City.

Saturday’s death of Ruiz follows the murders of two other Watsonville residents back in October who were shot to death while attending a large off-roading party in the riverbed that involved taco trucks and live bands.

County supervisor Chris Lopez who represents the area, says it's time to look at chocking off all access points to the river.

“We've seen the disastrous outcomes that are possible, from my end absolutely I think it's a renewed conservation that needs to happen we need to work with law enforcement to look at some of the key access points and see if there isn't something we can do to be prepared and try to sting some of these folks but it's almost as much education as it is enforcement,” Lopez said.

Police and county leaders say they're seeing an uptick in illegal off-roading in the Salinas riverbed as other legal off-roading sites scale back operations around the state.

“And those options have dwindled up over the last few years and I think it's driving people to make bad decisions and we're seeing some of these outcomes,” Lopez said.

A warning from the CHP, if you see something say something; call 911.

“If there are things happening in the riverbed it would be good for the residents of the area to give us a call and let us know and we might be able to respond out and possibly stop one of these incidents from happening,” said Meadors. #

1 person killed in ATV crash in Salinas River near Soledad: CHP

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