Porsche driver faces jail time after going off-road in Death Valley

Several off-roading drivers were cited and could face jail time after lodging their vehicles into the mud at Death Valley National Park.

The first event was on Dec. 22, when the National Park Service says that two men drove their rented Porsche SUV into the mud, according to a news release. The men were headed toward a salt flat 2 miles from Badwater Basin, but only made it about 200 yards from the designated road before they got stuck.

However, instead of following directions and waiting for the park service to supervise the rescue, the men allegedly hired a pickup driver to remove their vehicles. The pickup ended up with the same fate as the Porsche SUV. 

The Porsche could drive out of the mud “after digging holes and laying down traction,” according to the news release. However, the park service said that the pickup wasn’t removed until a few days later. Both vehicles were towed, and the drivers received citations and mandatory court appearances.

A few days later on Dec. 27, a different driver in a BMW SUV allegedly drove over a parking lot curb into the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. After making it a half mile, the BMW ended up stuck in the sand and the driver had to have his car towed out a day later. The driver also received a citation and mandatory court appearance. 

“Vehicles driving off roads can damage fragile ecosystems and damage archaeological sites,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in the news release. “They also impact the experience of other park visitors. People want to take photographs of the park’s beautiful landscapes without car tracks in the picture, which can last for many years.”

Off-roading at Death Valley National Park is illegal, and if found guilty, drivers can be fined up to $5,000 or serve up to six months in jail. Off-roading does more than just leave tire tracks — it can also endanger and damage vegetation, wildlife, water sources, cultural and historical sites and more, according to the park service.

In 2020, Death Valley documented 381 disturbances and 100 miles of track damaged or disrupted.

Rangers were concerned about copycats of the Porsche SUV and pickup and installed signs near where the vehicles went off-roading to deter other park visitors from following the tire marks. 

“While rangers were at the sand dunes parking lot waiting for the tow truck to arrive, more than one visitor came up to them and asked how they can drive out into the sand dunes as well,” the park service wrote in the news release.