A two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Sultana Street and Topaz Avenue in Hesperia on Friday afternoon ended with a man running from the scene, sprinting into the California Aqueduct, and being pulled out of the water by deputies before he was detained.
According to VVNG, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies were called at about 3:04 p.m. on Sept. 18 for a report of a two-vehicle traffic collision. The crash involved a white Mazda3 and a black Honda sedan, with the Mazda coming to rest partially on a sidewalk and against landscaping near the intersection while the Honda suffered extensive front-end damage, the outlet reported.
The female driver of the Mazda was transported by ambulance to a local hospital as a precaution, per the same account. A man connected to the crash ran from the scene, leading deputies on a foot pursuit before entering the aqueduct, where he got into the water.
Deputies Pull Man From Aqueduct Waters
Deputies ultimately removed the man from the water and took him into custody, the report notes. Officials had not released details about how the crash occurred or the direction either vehicle was traveling before the collision, and the investigation remains ongoing, VVNG reported, citing spokesperson Jenny Smith.
The California Aqueduct, which stretches south from the Sacramento Delta through Los Angeles County and reaches Silverwood Lake near Hesperia in San Bernardino County, is not an approved place to take a dip. Swimming is not permitted in the aqueduct, according to a Los Angeles Times report, and for good reason: operators can move water through the channel at speeds up to 25 miles per hour, and the algae-covered sides below the waterline are described as being as slick as glass.
Those hazards have proven fatal before. VVNG.com reported in 2019 that a body was found inside an SUV submerged in the same Hesperia aqueduct and was later identified by coroner officials, underscoring the risks the waterway poses to anyone who ends up in it, whether by accident or otherwise.
VVNG said it will update its report as additional information becomes available.
