Update: One dead, two others injured in Highway 108 head-on wreck near Knights Ferry
A 57-year-old Modesto man was killed and two other people were injured in a head-on collision on Highway 108 between Oakdale and Knights Ferry on Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash happened about 8:45 a.m., roughly three miles east of Lancaster Road. It involved a small, 1993 Toyota pickup truck and a 2015 Nissan Rogue compact SUV, CHP Officer Brandon Whittemore said at the scene.
The pickup, occupied by the 57-year-old driver and his 35-year-old female passenger, was heading west. The eastbound SUV, occupied by only its driver, 83-year-old Hector Ramos Jose of Oakdale, crossed the solid center lines on a curve and went into the path of the Toyota, Whittemore said. “He said he was just driving and then just felt the impact. He didn’t even realize he went over the lane,” the officer said.
The driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at 9:01 a.m., the CHP said in a news release. About two and a half hours after the crash, he was extricated. The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office van was caught in the backup that extended a couple of miles in each direction until one-way traffic control could be established.
The deceased driver’s identity was not released Sunday, pending notification of family. His passenger was airlifted to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Her name also was withheld pending notification of family. The CHP Traffic Incident Information Page online said she suffered head trauma, and the CHP news release said her injuries were major.
Jose was conscious and alert, complained of chest pain and was taken by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center, Whittemore said. The CHP news release said his injuries were major.
It appears the 57-year-old was not properly wearing his lap and shoulder safety restraints, the CHP said. His passenger was, as was Jose.
Highway 108 was fully reopened at 11:50 a.m., the CHP reported.
This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 9:52 AM.
