Suspect Wanted In Wrong-Way Pursuit That Killed Motorcyclist
RIVERSIDE (CBS) — The public's help was sought Thursday to identify a pursuit suspect who killed a Riverside motorcyclist while fleeing police on the wrong side of the freeway.
Mark Brian Offeney, 57, died Jan. 22 when the driver of a stolen pickup truck slammed into him while going southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 215 in San Bernardino.
The chase began when San Bernardino police tried to stop the man at the wheel of a stolen Ford F-150 on westbound state Route 210, near Del Rosa Avenue, just after noon that day. The suspect fled, leading officers onto state Route 259 before exiting the freeway on Highland Avenue, CHP Officer Hope Maxson said.
The high-speed chase continued onto several city streets, then the suspect turned onto the I-215 northbound the wrong way, traveling southbound in the northbound lanes, she said. San Bernardino police officers stopped chasing the suspect for safety reasons and lost sight of the pickup.
The suspect drove the truck into the fast-lane, head-on into traffic. Several motorists narrowly avoided a collision, but Offney didn't see the truck in time and was able to maneuver his 2007 Honda motorcycle out of the way and crashed into the truck head-on, according to the CHP.
The suspect's truck was still drivable after the crash, and he disappeared off the interstate.
Offeney was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities searched for the suspect by foot, vehicle and aircraft, but he was not found. He was described as white or Hispanic and possibly bald.
Anyone with information about the suspect can call the CHP San Bernardino office at (909) 382-4247.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
