Malibu High School student Johnny Strange, known for such adventurous activities as climbing Mount Everest, was cited by the Sheriff’s Department for “street surfing” on Pacific Coast Highway Wednesday morning on his way to school.
“I guess I was being stupid,” Strange told Sheriff’s deputies when he was confronted at school Wednesday, Sgt. Phillip Brooks said.
Sheriff’s deputies will most likely cite Strange for a traffic infraction. He has since posted a video on youtube.com, apologizing for the incident.
The driver of the car, a 17-year-old girl whose identity was not released because of her age, will probably be cited for reckless driving, Brooks said.
Strange, 18, was the youngest person to climb Mount Everest and then Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko last summer, completing a seven-continent climbing record.
The teenager was photographed by someone in an MTA bus as he climbed out the window of a BMW SUV traveling west on Pacific Coast Highway and then onto the top of the vehicle, kneeling with his arms outstretched.
The photos were e-mailed to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, Brooks said.
“This highly dangerous and illegal activity comes in the wake of three recent fatalities on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, one which involved a 13-year-old Malibu student,” Sgt. Phil Brooks stated in a press release.
—Laura Tate