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(Bold print added on 4-12-21 from Sheriff’s News Release)

VICTORVILLE, Ca. – At least one man was killed and a deputy was injured after what witnesses described as a crash caused by a Sheriff’s vehicle speeding through the street without lights or sirens.

On April 11, 2021, around 9:34 p.m. deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to a deputy-involved traffic collision on Amargosa Road and Tawney Ridge Lane. A witness at the scene told a 24/7 Headline News reporter that the civilian vehicle involved was a vehicle simply driving down the street when the Sheriff’s vehicle slammed into it, causing it to overturn. The deputy was responding to a traffic collision with at least one fatality in the area of Innovation Way and Phantom West.

“They just slammed into them and the car is over there upside down now, the cop car is on top of it. The two cops got out and I told them, “man, you got to help them”, but they were just on their radios and did not,” said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous. “It was a black man, bald, he was only like 25 years old at most.” He added that the man was completely unresponsive and none of the deputies involved or responding went up to the vehicle to help until the ambulance arrived several minutes later. He said that he did not see a second person in the vehicle, but believed that there was possibly more than one person in the vehicle. The ambulance left without a patient from the mangled vehicle. Deputies at the scene were joking around and laughing causing a citizen at the scene to yell out, “Why are you laughing? There is nothing funny here!” The injured deputy was transported with minor injuries resulting from the collision.

The male driver of the BMW has been identified as a 23-year-old Lavelle Hayes. Through preliminary investigation it was determined that the deputy was headed northbound in the patrol vehicle when he collided with the BMW. The crash caused the BMW to overturn and for both vehicles to become disabled. The man was extricated from his mangled BMW and despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Deputy D. Caudle at (760) 947-1500 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 956-5001. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.