One killed in three-car crash outside of Riverbank on Tuesday morning
One driver was killed and another suffered major injuries in a three-vehicle crash outside of Riverbank on Tuesday morning, the California Highway Patrol reported. Three children also were hurt.
The collision was reported at 9:43 a.m. at Highway 108/Patterson Road and Skittone Road. The location is just east of the McHenry Avenue intersection with Ladd Road north of Modesto.
The driver killed was alone in her white Ford SUV, CHP spokesman Tom Olsen said. The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office identified her as Kolleen Jackson, 68, of Riverbank.
The badly hurt driver, 27-year-old Sumer Cheever of Modesto, was with three young children in a green Chevrolet SUV, he said. She suffered major internal injuries and was taken to Doctors Medical Center for treatment.
The children — Joseph Aldaz, age 3, Vanessa Aldaz, 2, and Sophia Aldaz, 6 months, also were taken to hospitals, as a precaution. They were found to be unhurt, said Olsen, who did not know the relationship between the children and Cheever.
According to Olsen, Brandon Garcia-Castro of Oakdale was driving a Honda sedan west on Patterson Road when he stopped to turn left onto Skittone. Jackson, approaching from behind, veered left to avoid rear-ending the Honda.
According to a CHP news release, Jackson was traveling at an unsafe speed for the stopped vehicle ahead. When she turned to the left, the right front of her Ford sideswiped the left rear of the Honda.
The impact caused the Ford to rotate clockwise and overturn onto its left side, entering the eastbound lane. The front of Cheever’s Chevrolet struck the right side of the Ford as it was overturning.
Garcia-Castro suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment, Olsen said.
Personnel from American Medical Response, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, the Modesto Fire Department and the CHP were on scene.
The road was closed in the area, with traffic being diverted onto Coffee Road. Patterson Road reopened a little after 11:30 a.m., Olsen said.
All parties were wearing their seat belts at the time of the collision. It is unknown if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to the collision, the CHP said.
The CHP news release included a reminder that children under age 2 must be in rear-facing car seats and children must be in appropriate car seats until they reach age 8 or 4 feet, 9 inches in height.
To have a car seat inspected, contact the Modesto area CHP at 209-545-7440 or Rena Bryant of Doctors Medical Center at 209-480-8786.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 11:41 AM.
