Full Notification

On December 15, 2023, a road rage incident involving three vehicles occurred within Valley Springs. One of the vehicles involved attempted to ram another vehicle off the road, and the incident concluded at the Calaveras Consolidated Fire Station. One person was arrested as a result of the incident.  
The incident began when Nicholaus Niederbrach, a 21-year-old from San Andreas, CA, and his relative were driving in separate vehicles while traveling westbound on Olive Orchard Drive.  During this time, a third vehicle, which was traveling in the opposite direction, allegedly swerved at them.
Both Niederbrach and the second driver later reported that they avoided the collision but turned their vehicles around and chased after the third driver eventually catching up to the third driver’s vehicle near the intersection of Highway 26 and Olive Orchard Road.  It was at this location that the third driver reportedly began doing "donuts."
Niederbrach and the second driver followed the third driver eastbound on Gardner Lane, where Niederbrach passed and attempted to stop the third vehicle. The third driver drove around Niederbrach's vehicle and struck an uninvolved truck that was passing through the area.
Niederbrach continued to follow the third driver and attempted to disable the third driver’s vehicle by striking the rear of it while both vehicles were in motion on Baldwin Street.  The third driver eventually pulled into the Calaveras Consolidated Fire Department, where he and two other passengers fled from their vehicle and ran into the station.
After completing the investigation, Niederbrach was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving. He was then booked into the Calaveras County Sheriff's Jail facility.  The case and all of its components are still under investigation.