Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area, CA – Halloween Weekend Detail –
Starting October 30, 2003, the El Centro Field Office ran a special detail
in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area over the Halloween Weekend. The
LE agencies involved included BLM, Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, US
Forest Service, and California Highway Patrol. The crowd was large, but
smaller by 12,000 than the previous Halloween Weekend. The detail resulted
in over 754 citations being issued, and 27 arrests being made.

Glamis, CA – Fatality – On the evening of October 31, 2003, a 14-year-old
boy was driving his quad along the Olds Hill Road. He was struck by a dune
buggy and suffered fatal injuries. The buggy driver did not stop. The
following day the driver turned himself in at the Cahuilla Ranger Station.
He stated he did not know he’d struck the victim but after inspecting his
buggy at camp he suspected that he had. According to the driver, he
thought he’d hit a bump.

Sand Mountain Recreation Area, NV – Fatality – On November 1, 2003, a
59-year-old man died of internal injuries from an ATV accident at Sand
Mountain Recreation Area, 25 miles east of Fallon, Nevada. The victim,
wearing protective gear and a helmet, was riding by himself on the west
side of the dunes when the accident occurred. There were no witnesses. An
investigation is being conducted by the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office.