1 man killed and 4 injured while four-wheeling
April 19, 2015
UPDATE: The driver of the Jeep that crashed into a Ravine Saturday night was Andrew Joseph Kruep, 25, from Orinda. He died Saturday night. Krueps passengers were Darren Thomas Mullen, 25, Sean Ross Mullen, 22, and Myles Andrew Franklin, 21, all from San Luis Obispo and Spencer N. Blodgett, 24, from Lafayette. Al four passengers suffered severe injuries, said California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Mike Rigby.
A spokesperson for Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno said that all four survivors were eventually transferred there. Franklin and brothers Sean and Darren Mullen are currently in fair condition. Blodgett was treated and released.
An earlier source related to another responding agency said all five men were Cal Poly students. A Cal Poly spokesperson said Monday that none of the victims are Cal Poly students.
By KAREN VELIE
One man is dead and four others are injured after the Jeep they were allegedly four-wheeling in rolled multiple times before coming to rest more than 600 feet down a steep ravine on Saturday, sources said.
Early Saturday morning, five men were four-wheeling on sandy trails between Highway 101 and Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County when the narrow path they were on gave way and their Jeep began to slide into a steep ravine. The Jeep then rolled several times ejecting the men who were not wearing seat belts.
About 1:50 a.m., one of the men called 911 from his cell phone. Emergency crews from the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and Fort Hunter Liggett responded. However, there was almost no visibility and little moonlight.
A helicopter pilot with Mercy Air from Fort Hunter Liggett used night vision goggles and was able to spot a victim on the ground waving a flash light. The pilot radioed the GPS coordinates to other agencies while he circled above the area.
An officer in a CHP helicopter used a forward looking infrared device to detect body heat from the victims on the ground. The inferred showed that two of the men were moving and three of the victims were not. However, the helicopters were unable to land in the rugged terrain and needed to wait until first light in the morning.
It took more than four hours for emergency crews to reach the victims. During the night, one of the men passed away.
Liggett transported the victims to a landing area where emergency workers noted a strong smell of alcohol on the men, sources said. Based on their apparel, it is possible they were on a hunting trip.
Mercy Air transported one victim to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, CHP transported another to Templeton who was subsequently transferred to Fresno and Fresno Life Flight transported the remaining two men to Fresno.
The names of the victims and their medical conditions are not being released at this time.
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