Modesto, Salida men badly hurt when SUV crashes into big rig

Two men suffered major injuries early Wednesday when their SUV broadsided a tractor-trailer rig at the intersection of Beckwith Road and North Dakota Avenue in Salida.

The crash occurred about 3:50 a.m., the California Highway Patrol reported. The driver of the big rig was eastbound on Beckwith when he heard the collision, Officer Ming Hsu said. He got out of his truck cab and saw a Chevrolet Suburban stuck beneath his trailer.

The driver of the Chevy, 25-year-old Robert Fletcher of Modesto, was taken to Doctors Medical Center. His passenger, 20-year-old Salida resident Ryan Lima Jr., was taken to Memorial Medical Center. There was no immediate word on their conditions.

There were no skid marks or other indications Fletcher tried to avoid the collision, Hsu said.

Before 6 a.m., the intersection had been cleared. There was no indication Wednesday that drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, Hsu said.

This story was originally published January 2, 2019 at 9:20 AM.