california highway patrol

"It was so frustrating and only so much we could do," recalled Kit Bailey of the U.S. Forest Service during Saturday's Angora Fire First Responder Remembrance Ceremony. "Its miraculous nobody got hurt."

On the 10th anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed 254 homes as it burned quickly through 3,100 acres in the Meyers area of the South Shore, fire responders gathered at the Lake Valley Fire Department to honor those who served that day, and to honor the resilient community that supported them.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — On Tuesday, June 27, 2017, members of the California Highway Patrol South Lake Tahoe office, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff, and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, have coffee, and build relationships.

All community members are invited to attend. The event goes from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on June 27 at Alpina Coffee Cafe.

The first South Lake Tahoe Police Department community gathering was a successful one on Saturday as the 50th anniversary of the department was celebrated with hundreds of people at Lakeview Commons. There were rides on both the police and fire boats, a concert, BBQ, interactions with the police K-9s, booths, fingerprinting and an awards ceremony.

Going above and beyond the call of duty was recognized with awards to both staff members and the public.

Lake Tahoe is seeing the winter that keeps on giving into spring. It has been snowing in South Lake Tahoe since about 3:00 p.m. and conditions on area roads are not good for travelers over the Sierra.

“Choices, what are yours?” was the theme of our efforts in keeping our youth drug free.

Former Truckee High School head football coach Robert Shaffer was killed in a head-on collision outside of Sierraville at Saturday night according to the California Highway Patrol in Truckee.

Shaffer, his wife Lisa and 22-year-old son Patrick were in their Toyota Corolla on SR-89 in Sierra County just before 9:30 p.m. when a Ford F250 driven by 54-year-old David Slaughter of Sacramento drifted into Shaffer's lane.

Highway 50 near Silver Fork was closed Tuesday morning as law enforcement apprehended a carjacking suspect who also sideswiped a vehicle along Highway 50.

According to CHP in Placerville, a man driving eastbound on Highway 50 east of Ice House Road noticed a car on the right shoulder of the road with a flat tire. As he passed the person in the stopped car they threw an unidentified object at his vehicle. ,

Choices for Children and the City of South Lake Tahoe Recreation Services hosted Day of the Young Child on Saturday March 11, 2017. Twenty-seven agencies came together to offer a wide variety of early childhood activities including art, sensory activities and physical activities. Children enjoyed face painting, beading, painting, play
dough, planting, rock climbing, paper collages, chalk art, Pequeños Rascal Learning Center dancers and more. It truly was a lively day for families to connect and get information on community resources.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, and to honor the beloved children's author better known as Dr. Seuss, Read Across America is celebrated annually on March 2.

This annual reading motivation and awareness program calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on this day, and schools in South Lake Tahoe joined in with guest readers in the classroom, and some joined in with Dr. Seuss inspired costumes.

11:00 a.m. update: The slope supporting the highway at Bridal Veil Falls, two miles east of Fresh Pond, slipped several feet last week, requiring the closure of the westbound #2 lane. The damage has increased this week, impacting the #1 lane.

This section of the highway will be under one-way reversing traffic controls Tuesday as contractor Doug Veerkamp Engineering, Inc. sets up k-rail for the work site, and it will be reduced to one lane in each direction for the next few months as repair work is performed to stabilize the slope.

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Roadwork to clear mud and rocks from Highway 50 continues on both sides of the state line of Lake Tahoe with no estimated reopening time released by either transportation agency.

Last week, five boulders fell onto the highway near Logan Creek on the east side of the lake, prompting Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to close the road due to an unstable hillside. Progress is being made on the stretch of road that connects South Lake Tahoe to Carson City according to Meg Ragonese of NDOT. She said the "monolithic-size boulders" are being removed.

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel is inviting all county residents to join in a discussion about the traffic congestion in Meyers every weekend and holiday, hampering locals in their movement along surface roads and the highway.

As visitors depart South Lake Tahoe, many have become aware of side streets via google and phone apps, thus finding another route that they think is getting them around the backup.

El Dorado County has added a new feature on its website that provides the most up to date information available about roads, parks and trails throughout the County. Users can open a map, and by clicking on icons, can get needed information before heading out. In addition to the status of County roads, parks and trails, the map has information from inside and outside of the County from Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol.

11:00 a.m. update February 2 - A 30-year-old Carson City resident died in the Wednesday night three-car crash at the top of Luther Pass on SR89 near Grass Lake. The unidentified man was driving a Ford F150 northbound at about 4:29 p.m. when, for unknown reasons, drifted to the right. A witness told the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that the driver then overcorrected and went into oncoming traffic.

As California Highway Patrol Officer Ruth Loehr headed home after working in Meyers Tuesday night, little did she know she was about to have a close call in the type of accident she normally responds to.

On January 24 at 5:30 p.m., Loehr was driving southbound on SR-89 just cresting the hill near Grass Lake on Luther Pass and was behind a truck tractor & trailer combination ("Big Rig"). Both Loehr and the truck driver passed a Toyota FJ Cruiser that was heading north when, for unknown reasons, it hit the snow berm. The Toyota rolled onto its side, just missing Loehr's vehicle by inches.

1:00 p.m. update - SR-89 is back open to traffic after the snow from an early morning avalanche was cleared off the road.

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State Route 89 remains closed Monday morning after an overnight avalanche between Alpine Meadows and Tahoe City caught two cars in its path.

Drivers in the cars were rescued in about 45 minutes and there were no injuries. Two of the occupants of the cars, Tahoe City area residents, posted a photo from inside their trapped car on social media.

A 43-year-old woman from Tahoe City, Calif., was killed Thursday after a tree fell onto her car as she was driving north of Squaw Valley on SR-89.

According to the California Highway Patrol in Truckee, several cars were on the roadway at about 6:30 p.m. when a tree fell onto the road, hitting two cars, a Subaru and Cadillac Escalade.

The driver of the Subaru was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another tree fell on a third car as the driver stopped to check on the occupant of the Subaru. Occupants of the Cadillac and Tesla were uninjured.

The snow hasn't been the only concern on Highway 50 over Echo Summit and along the road to Strawberry. The behavior of motorists who park illegally on the road is becoming more of a safety issue and hazard.

For those that have driven this stretch, the situation isn't anything new though there has been a big increase in offenders.

Drivers are pulling over on the roadway, a state highway, to experience snow play, and those parking are not paying attention to "No Parking" signs or the dangerous situation they are causing.

Deaths caused by drunk drivers had decreased during the past three decades due to increased awareness, education and more choices of sober drivers, but authorities are seeing a rise in 2016. Over 10,000 people died in 2015 after someone chose to drink and drive.

New Year's Day is the single deadliest day for drunk driving and accidents caused by drunk drivers. The 12-hour window between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 tends to have about 71 percent more crashes where alcohol or drugs are listed as a contributing factor.

An 11-year-old boy was killed and three other people were injured when a BMW went off Highway 50 in El Dorado County, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash happened about 12 a.m. Wednesday on westbound Highway 50 near Riverton Court when a 33-year-old man driving a BMW lost control of his vehicle as he was making a turn, officers said. The driver tried to apply his breaks when the wheel locked causing the car to go off the road.

Placerville CHP Sgt. Chris Davis said the speed limit in this area is 55 mph, but that night it was dropped to 45 as a precaution.

A look at roads around Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon shows congestion and slow moving traffic, especially near ski resorts.

Holiday travelers in Tahoe for the weekend headed out, while a fresh group of visitors headed in, filling up area lodging properties.

A 23-year-old Markleville woman was transported to Renown Medical Center via Calstar with moderate injuries on Sunday, December 11 after crashing her vehicle on SR-89.

A Yuba City couple missing in the Sierra Nevada for two days were found late Monday afternoon by a search and rescue team who followed tracks they saw on a U.S. Forest Service road.

Susan and Rory Holloter had gone for a drive in the Wentworth Springs Road area of El Dorado County at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 26 in their Dodge Ramcharger. A storm hit the area that afternoon and the couple became stuck.

12:00 a.m. update 11/27/16: Chain controls have lowered to Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines, heading eastward to Meyers on Highway 50. Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four wheel / all wheel drive vehicles with snow treaded tires on all wheels.

SR 89 northbound: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four wheel / all wheel drive vehicles with snow treaded tires on all wheels.