5 Killed in Temecula Chase

Temecula’s tragedy of June 2 has left the town angry and grief-stricken. This type of horror can produce a lynch-mob mentality in its wake. But I urge the citizens of my city to clearly review all the facts before any rash action is taken.

A majority assume that a high-speed pursuit directly preceded this incident. My daughter and I were witnesses not only to the collision, but to the conduct of the Chevrolet Suburban and the Border Patrol vehicle in the minutes before the accident, and know that not to be the case.

As I coached my daughter on her learner’s permit, we drove parallel to the Suburban in the half-mile stretch before the intersection, noticing its erratic behavior. When we first sighted the vehicle, it was the only other car on the road. The Border Patrol appeared some minutes later, came behind our car, and slowly gained on us. I checked our speedometer regularly. We were going between 35 and 40 miles per hour. I estimate the maximum speed the Border Patrol reached at 50 miles per hour. The Suburban was probably going 60 until it accelerated at the last minute to run the red light.

This has been a traumatic experience for my daughter and myself, and I would do anything in my power to prevent it from happening again. But all facts must be thoroughly investigated before radical action can be taken.

TRACI HALES VASS

Temecula