Columbia State Park Turning To Public To Find Illegal Dumping Suspect

Columbia, CA – Columbia State Historic Park officials have released a video and pictures of a pickup pulling a trailer full of garbage left in the roadway and hope someone will recognize it.

The incident happened around 1:15 a.m. when the truck, with the trailer loaded with rotting household garbage, drove down Jackson Street/Yankee Hill Road through the park, leaving a trail of trash scattered down the roadway.

Security camera video, view here, shows sparks flying from the dragging trailer, which could have ignited a fire. Park officials shared, “The trailer appears to slip sideways, narrowly avoiding collision with the side of the Saint Charles Saloon before it is separated from the vehicle in the intersection of Jackson and Main Street.”

The driver then turns around and passes by the trailer before abandoning the trailer in the street. That morning, park staff moved the trailer out of the street into an adjacent parking lot and cleaned up the debris.

“It will likely take several employees and many hours to dispose of the garbage and trailer safely and properly,” say park officials, adding, “There will also be fees associated with proper disposal. Unfortunately, the time and money that must be diverted to removing this trailer and garbage will come out of the park’s funding.”

Anyone with information about this incident or who recognizes the vehicle in the photos is asked to contact the Columbia Ranger Station at 209-588-9128, ext. 8.