Power wheelchair user seriously injured when struck by van on Orangeburg in Modesto
A 67-year-old man riding in a power wheelchair suffered major injuries when struck by a delivery van Thursday morning on the 200 block of West Orangeburg Avenue, right across from Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.
The crash occurred just after 8 a.m., police Lt. Brian Kleiber said. Both the van and the wheelchair were eastbound on Orangeburg. It’s not uncommon for power wheelchair users to be on the side of a road instead of a sidewalk, where it can be hard to navigate tight spaces around light posts, fire hydrants and other obstacles.
The man in the wheelchair, whose name has not been released, was bleeding profusely from his legs as a result of the crash, emergency medical personnel reported over the dispatch channel. Kleiber confirmed that tourniquets were applied to both of his legs.
The man was taken to DMC for treatment. The van driver was unhurt and remained on scene, cooperating with the investigation, the lieutenant said.
About half an hour after the crash, officers still were piecing together the cause of the collision, Kleiber said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 9:22 AM.
