Argument may have led to fatal crash on Paradise Road southwest of Modesto, CHP says

A 45-year-old Modesto woman was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash on the 3800 block of Paradise Road, southwest of the city, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to the Spanish-speaking driver of the Ford pickup that crashed into trees in a walnut orchard, an argument between him and his female passenger led to the steering wheel of the truck being yanked sharply to the left, CHP Officer Derrick Roderick said at the scene.

With the crash investigation just beginning, “there’s a whole bunch up in the air,” the officer said, including which person — driver or passenger — jerked the steering wheel.

The crash happened about 12:40 p.m. The truck was westbound on Paradise, between Michigan and Illinois avenues. “From what the evidence looks like, they veered a little to the right and then lose it,” Roderick said.

He pointed to tire marks on the asphalt, saying they indicate the truck was skidding sideways. The vehicle then rolled and became airborne, and the passenger side struck a tree, tearing it from the ground.

The driver, whose name was not immediately available because he had no identification on him, was able to get out of the pickup, Roderick said. He said the man appears to be about the same age as the woman and suffered only minor injuries.

Firefighters and EMS personnel got the woman out, and an American Medical Response attended to her. CHP arrived on scene about 10 minutes after the crash, Roderick said, and that’s when AMR declared her dead.

Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash, the officer said.

The woman’s name was withheld pending notification of family.

This story was originally published September 29, 2019 at 3:15 PM.