(Jan. 1, 2002, initial post at 8:45 p.m.) -- A new year's day car club event drew a large crowd exceeding expectations to El Dorado Park, prompting park officials to close the park area involved and causing a large crowd to form along Studebaker Rd. -- at one point stretching nearly from Spring St. to Wardlow Rd. -- which eventually dispersed peacefully according to preliminary reports by LBPD.
Details are sketchy as we post. LBPD ELB Division Lt. Joe Levy told LBReport.com that at approximately 1:00 p.m., LB Park officials began shutting down that area of the park to participants because of the group's numbers, roughly 1,000 at one point. Lt. Levy said the group had a permit but the crowd size exceeded expectations.
Lt. Levy said that at about 3:30 p.m., many of the car club participants began gathering on the parallel service roads lining the east and west sides of Studebaker Rd. as LBPD monitored the situation.
Levy said the crowd was law abiding but grew to the point where it stretched from Spring St. approaching Wardlow Rd. This caused LBPD to deploy additional units to patrol the Studebaker Rd. corridor, which noted traffic violations, cited for vehicle code violations (moving and parking violations) and impounded some vehicles.
Lt. Levy said that while police took the enforcement actions, the group chose to move on and dispersed peacefully on its own. There were no altercations or confrontations, Levy said.
Lt. Levy said LB Parks and Recreation officials made the decision to begin closing down the park area involved and were the proper persons to provide further details. He indicated police were in the area basically to support the park officials' decision.
Further details as they develop.
[LBReport.com is interested in hearing from individuals with photos of the events. Contact by email to: "mail@lbreport.com".