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Jonathan Calderon

Age : 28

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 07/31/2022

Location : Highway 69/Meridian Road near Kuna Road

City : Kuna

County : Ada

State : Idaho

Agency : Meridian Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Deputy Bilton; Deputy Nydeggar

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Attempted traffic stop followed by flight from Meridian Police Department officers. Meridian police initially pursued Ruben Garcia south on Meridian Road but lost sight of his vehicle and terminated their pursuit. Shortly afterward, Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Bilton saw Calderon continuing south on Meridian Road without headlights and attempted another traffic stop. Calderon continued driving away and Bilton pursued.
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EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 07/31/2022, Garcia was killed when the Nissan he was driving crossed into opposing traffic and crashed head-on into an uninvolved vehicle during an Ada County Sheriff’s Office pursuit on Highway 69/Meridian Road in Kuna. The other driver, bystander Jonathan Calderon, was also killed.
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The encounter initially involved the Meridian Police Department. Meridian Officer Herscowitz pursued Calderon south on Meridian Road, but eventually lost sight of the Nissan as it traveled south over the Interstate 84 overpass. Herscowitz terminated the Meridian police pursuit.
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Shortly after Meridian police terminated their pursuit, Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Bilton was positioned along Highway 69/Meridian Road farther south. Bilton observed the fleeing vehicle traveling south without its headlights illuminated. Bilton drove behind the Nissan, activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to stop it. The vehicle continued driving away and Bilton pursued.
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As Calderon approached the intersection of Deer Flat Road and Highway 69, Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Nydeggar deployed spike strips in an attempt to stop the Nissan. The fleeing driver drove around the spike strips and continued south. The spike strips therefore did not disable the Nissan.
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Moments later, the Nissan moved into the northbound lanes of Highway 69 and struck Calderon oncoming vehicle head-on. Both drivers were killed.
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No PIT/TVI maneuver or intentional police-vehicle contact immediately preceding the fatal collision is documented in the Critical Incident Task Force reconstruction. Police did attempt to stop Garcia with spike strips, but he maneuvered around them before the head-on crash.
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The later Boise Police Department Critical Incident Task Force investigative file provides substantially more detail than the initial news coverage. It identifies Meridian Officer Herscowitz as the officer involved in the earlier pursuit, Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Bilton as the deputy who initiated the second pursuit, and Deputy Nydeggar as the deputy who attempted to deploy spike strips.
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The public investigative material does not provide enough reliable biographical information about Calderon’s family, occupation or everyday life to add a personal history without speculation.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Bilton initiated the second pursuit after observing Calderon traveling south on Meridian Road without headlights. Deputy Nydeggar attempted to stop Calderon by deploying spike strips near Deer Flat Road and Highway 69. Meridian Police Officer Herscowitz had participated in the earlier pursuit but terminated it after losing sight of Calderon. The fatal-crash investigation was handled through the Critical Incident Task Force, with Boise Police Officer Chuck Roath assigned as lead detective and Sgt. Justin Kendall supervising.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/local-kuna-police-pursuit-fatal-crash/277-2f2b5c2c-7e12-4c5b-92ff-2f5d76c6a3f0
https://apps.adacounty.id.gov/sheriff/CITF/Garcia-CITF.pdf