Emerald Bay pursuit ends in tree crash
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — An Antioch man spent his 26th birthday in the El Dorado County Jail after authorities said he fled from a California Highway Patrol officer through a construction zone near Emerald Bay early Thursday morning.
The incident began at approximately 1:52 a.m. Aug. 20, when CHP Officer Heitzman was working with Caltrans personnel inside a construction closure on State Route 89 near Emerald Bay.
According to information provided by CHP, traffic-control operators alerted Heitzman to a gold Tesla traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver had allegedly gone through two separate traffic closures north of Emerald Bay, entering an area where construction workers were present.
Heitzman stopped the Tesla at the north end of the closure near Emerald Bay. When the officer exited her patrol vehicle to contact the driver, authorities said the driver accelerated away.
The Tesla allegedly ran a red traffic-control light and continued at a high rate of speed, creating a danger to workers inside the construction zone.
Heitzman then initiated a pursuit with emergency lights and siren activated.
The driver continued southbound on SR-89 toward the Tahoe basin. Just south of Inspiration Point, the vehicle entered the first switchback, where the driver lost control. The Tesla left the roadway and struck a tree.
Authorities identified the driver as Anthony James Levon Jr. of Antioch.
Levon was arrested on suspicion of felony evading. He was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital because of possible injuries before being booked into the El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe. His bail was set at $75,000, according to the information provided by CHP.
California law enforcement agencies classify a vehicle pursuit as an attempt by an officer to apprehend a driver who is trying to avoid arrest through high-speed or other evasive driving tactics. CHP’s statewide pursuit reporting guidance specifically includes failing to yield to an officer’s signal to stop among the circumstances defining a pursuit.
The incident occurred along one of the most heavily traveled and geographically challenging portions of SR-89 in the Lake Tahoe region. The roadway around Emerald Bay and Inspiration Point includes steep terrain and tight mountain switchbacks, making construction closures and traffic-control measures particularly important to worker and motorist safety.
The South Lake Tahoe Jail is one of two facilities operated by El Dorado County. A recent El Dorado County Grand Jury inspection report notes that the South Lake Tahoe and Placerville jails operate under the same general rules and procedures, including inmate classification, visitation and health services.
Levon remained in custody Thursday as the case moved forward.
An arrest is an allegation, and Levon is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Sources: California Highway Patrol pursuit-reporting materials and incident information provided by CHP; El Dorado County Grand Jury jail-inspection records.
