Tagged stop sign may have led to injury accident in Modesto

Authorities believe graffiti covering a temporary stop sign may have contributed to an accident in Modesto that sent two children to the UC Davis Medical Center via helicopter Thursday morning.

The accident occurred about 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Coffee and Claribel roads, where new stoplights are in place but not yet operating. Instead, there are large temporary stop signs.

But the signs are riddled with graffiti, and the marks may have contributed to the accident.

A woman driving a Dodge Ram pickup ran the stop sign and crashed into a mom and her three children in an Acura MDX, which had stopped at the intersection.

The woman in the Dodge Ram was unfamiliar with the area, the California Highway Patrol said, and may have not seen the stop sign.

“Tagged stop signs – taggers need to go to jail,” Officer Dan Balos said.

One of the children suffered a fractured arm and another lost consciousness, Balos said.

The other three involved in the accident were taken via ambulance to Modesto hospitals. Their injuries are believed to be minor, Balos said.

Crews from the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District and the Modesto Fire Department were called to the scene of the crash.

Balos said a request to replace the tagged stop signs has been made.

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Tagged stop sign may have led to injury accident in Modesto."