Show respect for the icy road

Mountain driving in the winter can be a spectacular yet sometimes perilous adventure in Southern California. Steep, icy roads that wind their way up to popular ski areas in the San Bernardino Mountains often are jammed with motorists heading for the slopes.

But after long days of skiing and partying, not everyone makes it back home in one piece. Far too many lives are lost and serious injuries suffered on mountain roads when motorists fail to drive sensibly, said California Highway Patrol Officer Edward Escalera at the Arrowhead station in Running Springs.

Speeding and reckless driving, often fueled by alcohol and drugs, lead to many accidents on the heavily traveled roads, he said.

Since Dec. 15 there have been four fatalities and numerous other accidents on mountain roads near Los Angeles, the CHP reports.

One of the most horrific accidents happened the night of Jan. 10 on Highway 330 near Forest Service Road. Tymon J. Downs, 29, of Running Springs was killed and three passengers were injured when he lost control of a 1998 Volvo he was driving down the mountain, the CHP said.

Witnesses estimated that the Volvo was traveling at 85 mph in a 55-mph zone on a straight stretch of highway. Downs was in a legal passing zone but attempted to pass as many as four vehicles, the CHP said.

When he came to a curve, the Volvo skidded across the opposite lane and struck the mountainside. It launched into the air, spun around, rolled over and landed upside down. Lori Ketola, one of Downs’ passengers, suffered major injuries when she was ejected from the front seat through the sunroof, the CHP said. Two other passengers in the back seat suffered minor injuries.

“The accident could have been avoided if he was driving slower and

Another mountain accident happened the night of Jan. 25. Joel Luther, 21, was injured when his sport utility vehicle, an Isuzu Trooper II, tumbled 150 feet down the mountain off Highway 330. The vehicle rolled over several times, the CHP reported. Luther was airlifted by helicopter to a medical center for treatment for minor neck injuries and back pain.

Part of the problem is the swelling number of visitors to the area. On a busy weekend, the number of people in the Big Bear resort area can reach 100,000. The city of Big Bear Lake does post warning signs when icy conditions exist on local streets.

And on winding mountain highways, the California Department of Transportation has posted yellow advisory signs warning drivers to slow down and take curves at 30 mph. But these are not speed-limit signs. Consequently, many drivers ignore them and barrel around blind corners at unsafe speeds.

Near the lower portion of the San Bernardino Mountains, on straightaways, CHP officers have caught drivers on radar going more than 100 mph.

“Most of our accidents up here in the wintertime involve four-wheel-drive vehicles. People think a four-wheel drive will get them anywhere,” Escalera said.

Drivers of pickup trucks and SUVs get overconfident, convinced that their vehicle will keep them safe and can navigate icy roads without chains.

“But when they take a curve too fast,” he said, “they slide on the ice, hit a car or the mountainside and the vehicle flips.”

Escalera recalls an owner of a new $70,000 Hummer who insisted that his vehicle didn’t need chains. Officers made the driver go back down the mountain to get a set.

Another problem, he said, is that drivers don’t realize that SUVs can be more prone to accidents because their high center of gravity makes them more likely to tip over.

E-mail: jeanrite@aol.com.