Man ID'd in SoCal Big Rig Pursuit

BANNING, CA — A multi-county CHP pursuit involving a stolen big rig ended at the Whitewater rest stop along the I-10 Tuesday afternoon. The chase lasted about three hours before the driver ultimately surrendered, CHP officials said.

The person driving the big rig led authorities on a chase across several southern California cities before it was over. CHP officers tell Patch it started at 10:30 a.m. on the I-15 near Jack Rabbit Trail, near the Cajon Pass.

"The semi-truck and trailer had been reported stolen to the Barstow Police Department," the San Bernardino County sheriff's department said in a news release Tuesday. "The tractor trailer was equipped with a GPS device which led deputies to the area of Cahuilla Road. Deputies located the truck and trailer and attempted to conduct a traffic stop."

Deputies say the man failed to stop, and instead took off on I-15 south-- which is when the California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit.

The man has now been identified as 48-year-old James Edgley of Victorville, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Edgley led authorities through Riverside, Moreno Valley, Beaumont and Banning during the chase. He passed Highway 111 around 12:30 p.m., some two hours after the chase first started. By 12:45 p.m., the drive had veered off I-10 and onto the 62 north, headed toward the Yucca Valley area-- before then turning around and heading south on SR-62 and back onto the I-10 west.

The man was taken into custody without incident at the Whitewater rest area when he pulled over around 1:30 p.m.

"Deputies from the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station immediately responded to the rest area and took custody of Mr. Edgley," San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. "Mr. Edgley will be booked into the West Valley Detention Center for Possession of Stolen Vehicle x2 and Felony Evading."

CHP and trucking officials say the rig was stolen out of the Apple Valley area. It is labeled as "ACTenviro," which is a hazardous waste transport company. The company issued the following statement:

"One of our trucks was stolen last night in Southern California. We have tracked it and law enforcement is in pursuit. We have been working with all relevant authorities and will continue to do so. We will provide more information as it becomes available."

When the pursuit finally ended at the rest stop, authorities from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department took the man into custody. He remained handcuffed, in the back of a sheriff's SUV as of 3 p.m. at the scene.

Patch was told that authorities were waiting for the owner of the truck to arrive.

It's still unclear what was in the back of the truck, though sheriff's officials say "...the content was not an explosive substance."

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.

Photo via Shutterstock