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Unsafe Turn by SUV Believed Responsible

SANTA BARBARA, CA - 8/15/2006 - 8/15/06, 4:00 p.m. Police officers just
wrapped up an injury traffic accident that occurred at 1:35 p.m. on Meigs
Road. The collision involved a 63-year-old bicyclist named Gerald Hammons
versus a Ford Explorer SUV. The bicyclist was traveling west, in the 600
block of Meigs Road. He was not wearing a helmet. This stretch of Meigs
Road is fairly steep downhill. Meanwhile, driving up ahead in a Ford
Explorer was Brandon Phillips, age 28, of Florida. He
was also traveling west on Meigs Road. Reportedly, Phillips was lost and
was trying to get to downtown. He pulled over to the right curb, waiting
for a chance to make a sharp left turn onto a side street. He waited for a
few vehicles to pass by and then started his left turn. Midway into his
turn, Phillips alerted to the sound of Hammons shouting at him to ’stop.’
Phillips saw Phillips approaching at high speed on the bicycle. Phillips
aborted the plan to make a left turn, gunned the
engine, and tried to outrun Hammons by making an even sharper U-Turn.
Unfortunately, Hammons swerved to the left, apparently hoping to pass the
Explorer before it completed the U-Turn. Ironically, the two parties’ last
ditch efforts to avoid the accident set them on a collision course. The
bicyclist hit the SUV broadside, and fell to the pavement. Meigs Road was
temporarily closed until the bicyclist was transported to the hospital, and
until police investigators could complete the field investigation. The
Explorer sustained significant damage to both left side doors. The
bicycle’s front wheel, handlebars, and frame were crushed. The bicyclist’s
injuries include multiple
fractures to his right wrist and jaw, a broken right kneecap, and serious
internal head trauma. He was admitted at Cottage Hospital. The preliminary
investigative findings are that Phillips made an unsafe left turn.
Regardless of who is at fault, Santa Barbara Police Department
urges bicyclists to wear an approved helmet at all times.

Driver Believed to be DUI

SANTA BARBARA, CA - 8/7/2006 - 8/7/06.  More facts have emerged from the fatal accident that occurred Sunday morning at 1:50 a.m. on Hwy 154:  One driver, Jessica Rose Binkerd, age 22 had just left a party held at a residence near Foothill Rd. and Hwy 154.  She was driving a Red Ford Focus sedan.  Alexander James Baer, age 25, accompanied Binkerd as passenger.  Acquaintances of Binkerd, who also attended the party, reported that she had been drinking but the exact amount has not been determined.  Binkerd took the Foothill on-ramp to southbound Hwy 154, toward Calle Real.

For reasons that remain under investigation, Binkerd crossed over the double solid-yellow lines and drove head-on into oncoming traffic.  Meanwhile, Sara Maynez, age 19, was driving northbound on Hwy 154 from Calle Real.  The two vehicles crashed head-on at approximately freeway speed.  The Ford Focus was completely totaled, and the Lexus received major damage.  Baer was pronounced dead at the scene from massive internal injuries.  His family, living in Santa Cruz, has been notified.  Binkerd was admitted to Cottage Hospital with major injuries including a broken femur.  Maynez was treated and released for complaint of pain.  An English bulldog traveling in Maynez’s vehicle died at the scene.  Police contacted Binkerd at Cottage Hospital and noted objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol.

Binkerd was arrested for suspicion of DUI and a blood sample was taken.  Binkerd was released to the hospital due to her injuries.  In addition to driving over the solid double-yellow line, Binkerd is believed to have been driving without wearing her prescription eyewear.  Detectives say Binkerd just graduated from UCSB, and recently completed a private course in becoming a bartender.  Tragically, Baer declined an offer to ‘crash’ at the party host’s residence before accepting a ride from Binkerd.  The case remains under investigation pending toxicology analysis, additional interviews, and examination of physical evidence.  If found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol during the accident, Binkerd faces charges including vehicular manslaughter.

Elderly Driver Possibly Fell Asleep at the Wheel

SANTA BARBARA, CA - 8/8/2006 - 8/8/06 2:10 p.m.  Police are currently at the scene of a rollover traffic accident on Foothill Road at Willowglen.  A power pole was knocked down, and live electrical wires are down on the street.  Southern California Edison crews are working to clear the road and resume power.  The number of customers affected by loss of power is not known at this time.  The preliminary circumstances of the accident are as follows:  At 1:07 p.m., a 77-year-old local woman was driving her Toyota sedan eastbound on Foothill Road.  Her husband was passenger.

As she reached the intersection at Willowglen, she apparently fell asleep at the wheel.  The Toyota drifted off the road, to the right, and jumped the curb.  The vehicle struck and knocked down a Magnolia tree.  The vehicle then hit a power-pole guide-wire and flipped over.  The power-pole was knocked down and high voltage wires fell to the roadway.  The driver got out of the overturned vehicle without assistance, and appeared to have only suffered a minor injury.  The passenger was temporarily trapped in the overturned vehicle.  Fire Rescue and Paramedics safely extracted him onto a back-board.  Both driver and passenger went to Cottage Hospital for treatment and evaluation.  The passenger’s medical condition is not known.

Foothill Road at Willowglen will remain closed until the power lines can be repaired.  Until then, area traffic is urged to avoid Foothill Road between Ontare Road and Hope Ave.  Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the accident.  It is possible that the driver will be ordered to undergo a driver’s re-evaluation examination through the Department of Motor Vehicles

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/7/2006 – August 1st, 2006. This morning at 7:00 a.m., the Santa Barbara Police Department conducted a broad ‘sweep’ operation. The sweep was conducted by a taskforce comprised of forty Santa Barbara police officers, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Deputies, County Probation Officers, and State Parole Agents. The taskforce formed five teams that collectively went to forty-one locations throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta. The objective of the sweep was to arrest wanted fugitives and conduct searches based on probation and parole search terms. The teams also verified the addresses of people on probation and/or parole and conducted surprise drug tests. Most of the contacts were directed at known gang members or associates; many of whom have a history of violence. Sweep target locations included the lower East and West sides, upper State Street, and Goleta. The sweep precedes Fiesta by a single day. History has proven that fugitives and gang members commit a disproportionate number of criminal offenses during Fiesta. As the Santa Barbara Police Department prepares for Fiesta, public safety remains the top concern. The sweep is a tool to remove trouble makers from the streets, and an example to those who may become tempted to violate the law. Thirteen adults were arrested and booked at County Jail and four juveniles were booked at Juvenile Hall. Police seized a collection of drug contraband, knives, and two machetes.

As in past years, a variety of measures are being utilized to ensure that this Fiesta is free from major crime problems. They include: Use of bright lights to illuminate downtown, a combination of fixed foot patrol and highly mobile response teams, designated jail booking teams, a deployment strategy designed to increase staffing during peak hours, concentrating officers in the densely packed nightclub district, assistance from outside police agencies, and cancellation of all vacation and days off.

On behalf of Police Chief Cam Sanchez, the Santa Barbara Police Department hopes that Fiesta is the enjoyable celebration intended.