Three hospitalized after crash east of Modesto

Three people were hospitalized Sunday morning after a crash east of Modesto, where a sport-utility vehicle was sideswiped by a truck used to collect excrement from portable bathrooms.

Two people in a tan Ford Expedition and the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to local hospitals, said California Highway Patrol Officer Richard Kennell.

He said the tank on the collection truck was empty and remained attached to the vehicle after the crash. There was no spillage on the road.

The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. just east of the Highway 132 and Geer Road intersection.

The collection truck and the SUV were westbound on the highway when the truck sideswiped the SUV, Kennell said. The force of the impact sent the SUV into a spin before it came to rest in an easterly direction on the north side of the road.

The officer said visibility did not appear to be a factor in the crash. The thick fog Sunday morning in the Modesto area had already lifted when the crash occurred.

There were no obvious signs at the crash site that indicated alcohol or drugs were a factor, according to Kennell. Officers were still investigating the crash.

This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Three hospitalized after crash east of Modesto."