Irvine, CA man dies in 100MPH pursuit

[FJRBluesman]

News Clicky.

I find what his brother-in-law said rather interesting.

From the OC Register -

MISSION VIEJO – A 34-year-old man from Irvine is dead after he crashed on his Yamaha motorcycle with a Ford Explorer early Wednesday on the northbound 5 freeway south of La Paz Road, the California Highway Patrol said.

The man was identified as Javan Booth and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, said the Orange County coroner's office.

CHP officers tried to pull him over for exceeding 100 mph, the CHP said.

Booth failed to stop for the CHP's emergency lights and siren and continued at high speed, the CHP said.

The pursuit ended on the northbound I-5 south of La Paz when Booth struck the right rear of a Ford Explorer that was traveling in the No. 3 lane, the CHP said.

After crashing with the Ford Explorer, the motorcycle veered toward the right shoulder and struck some bushes, according to the CHP. Booth was ejected from the motorcycle and struck the shoulder area.

The 19-year-old driver of the Explorer and a 20-year-old passenger were not injured, the CHP said.

Paul Staughton, Booth's brother-in-law, said he was with Booth before the crash. He said Booth's motorcycle mirrors did not work properly and he probably didn't realize the officers were behind.

"I know him. I know he wouldn't be running from the police," Staughton said. "It's not that hard to go that fast on a motorcycle. I'm sure he didn't hear them."

"He was getting home to his girls so he could take them to school the next day," Staughton added.

 

[MCML]

Yes, surely it was the mirrors.

There are places to go fast, but the the I5 is surely not among them.

I was not there, and the reporting could be flawed (as it often is) but, as reported, this guy surely made some serious errors in judgement

....and stop calling me Shirley.

 

[madmike2]

RIP! My condolences to the family he left behind.

The B-I-L is correct, it isn't that hard to go 100 mph on a motorcycle, but how quickly does one need to get home.

I continually remind myself that I am supposed to be in control.....AND it's not the bikes fault.

 

[Silver Penguin]

It's sad that this guy has lost his brother but come on, 'the mirrors didn't work'? What were the mirrors supposed to do? I agree that it's easy to go fast on a motorcycle. Most of us posting here have done so, some more than others. If you're going to go fast, you'd better be paying 100% attention to your surroundings.

He was rushing home to take his little girls to school the next day? Sad, sad, sad. Riding at a more reasonable speed and paying attention would have left those children with a Daddy. Now, they don't have one.

Can't have too much sympathy for the rider, but for the people who his death affected, especially the pursuing cop and the SUV driver, I feel sorry.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Just for the Hell of it, I'll throw this in: I got a ticket in June just going the speed limit in Death Valley when I didn't notice the Nat. Park Ranger that was trying to get by me. It was hot and I had my face shield open and wind screen down, so it was much louder than usual, and the road was freaking empty, so I wasn't especially watching my mirrors. I suppose they worked, though. I know they worked afterwards. I checked.

The guy just wanted to go by; he was on his way to something else. Don't ask me why he didn't just go on past me and the car I was following, but after I did notice him and both of us pulled over to let him pass, he radioed for his ticket-giving buddy. "Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle." The buddy let the other car drive on, even though we both had pulled off the the side. (You don't have to tell ME twice, boy.)

I don't know what the traffic was like for this guy in the OP, but I'd figure that if he struck a vehicle in the No. 3 lane he must have been weaving, and therefore consciously trying to evade. Otherwise, you'd normally stick to the No. 1 lane, right? And from the pictures, it was dark. Those CHP red lights at night are a hell of a lot heftier than the little flashing grill lights on the NPS SUV that got me in broad daylight. Still, it's possible he really didn't hear a police siren. I sure didn't.