Three people badly hurt in two crashes in Modesto, Oakdale areas
Three people suffered major injuries in two crashes in the Modesto and Oakdale areas Tuesday, according to the Modesto Fire Department. Both incidents are being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
In the first, Modesto and Stanislaus Consolidated fire crews were dispatched just after 9 a.m. to South Stearns Road just south of Twildo Road in Oakdale for a report of a crash with people trapped inside, Modesto Battalion Chief Ryan Winton said. Two vehicles were involved, and one was on fire.
The fire quickly was extinguished, Winton wrote in his incident summary, and crews began to extricate one occupant. The complicated extraction required multiple hydraulic tools and took about 45 minutes, he said.
Two people suffered major injuries, Winton said, but were taken to hospitals by ground ambulance rather than air because of heavy fog.
The injured were Isaiah Cordova, 22, of Waterford and Kerry Furlong, 46, of Oakdale, California Highway Patrol Officer Thomas Olsen said. He was taken to Doctors Medical Center for treatment of at least one fractured leg, while she went to Memorial Medical Center suffering a broken back, ribs and knees, Olsen said.
Both were alone in their vehicles. No information was available Wednesday about the collision other than that Cordova was driving north on Stearns, and Furlong south.
Crews from the Modesto and Stanislaus fire departments again were dispatched about 9:10 p.m. to a report of a crash with a possible pin-in on Claus Road north of Plainview Road, just northeast of Modesto.
Firefighters found a single vehicle involved, with one patient with major injuries, Winton said.
Modesto resident Jorge de la Torre Jr., 17, was driving south on Claus in a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe at an estimated 45 to 50 mph, Olsen said. For undetermined reasons, he veered to the right and left the roadway.
The Tahoe struck a guardrail, became airborne and went fully over a canal, coming to rest on the other side, Olsen said. De la Torre was taken to Memorial with major injuries to his head and a broken left ankle, the officer said.
Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in either crash, Olsen said.
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 7:52 AM.
