Driver badly hurt in rollover crash on I-5 near Westley on Stanislaus’ West Side
The California Highway Patrol is investigating reports that a driver southbound on Interstate 5 on Stanislaus County’s West Side was being reckless — using the right shoulder and center median to pass vehicles — before he was badly hurt in a rollover crash Wednesday afternoon.
The crash occurred about 5:42 p.m. just north of Howard Road near Westley, CHP Modesto office spokesman officer Thomas Olsen said.
Driver Alonzo Smith, 54, of Stockton was driving a white Chevrolet pickup when he went onto the dirt center median. He turned back, but the pickup overturned several times before coming to rest on its roof, Olsen said.
Smith, who apparently was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected from the truck and came to rest a short distance from it. He suffered undetermined internal injuries, Olsen said, and was taken by PHI Air Medical helicopter to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.
Drugs and alcohol do not appear to have contributed to the crash, Olsen said.
