A motorcyclist jumps over the 60 Freeway as cars pass underneath in a wild stunt video that's been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, and prompted an investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
Caltrans officials said Monday they blocked access to the makeshift dirt ramps used by the motorcyclist to jump over the freeway in Riverside County shortly after the video, posted last week, went viral in order to prevent would-be copycats.
The stunt was caught on video from several camera angles and posted to the Instagram account of San Clemente resident Kyle Katsandris, where it garnered more than 100,000 views. The video showed a motorcyclist jumping high across the four lanes of the 60 freeway in Moreno Valley as traffic drove by.
"We hope to never see this again," Caltrans spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said. "It was illegal and dangerous to motorists. It could have been a tragedy."
The California Highway Patrol said no one called to report the stunt, leaving investigators with little information except the Instagram post.
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Authorities said they do not know the identity of the rider. If the identity of the rider can be determined, the case would likely be turned over to the Riverside County District Attorney's office.
Investigators also are trying to track down witnesses.
The jump broke a few misdemeanor laws, including trespassing on state property, and was reckless endangerment while operating a motorized vehicle, due to the fact that the rider jumped over a freeway, CHP told NBC4 Southern California.
Caltrans crews became aware of the video on Friday and by Saturday had sent crews to find the ramps in the San Timoteo Badlands and block them off.
"We went out there and put a lot of trees and logs and debris and obliterated the trail and blocked it off. You can't really even tell that's what it was," Kasinga said.
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If found guilty, the rider could face up to a year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.
City News Service contributed to this report.
