Chain-reaction crash near Oakdale leaves motorcyclist dead, live wires on roadway
A motorcyclist died Saturday night after he rear-ended a passenger van north of Oakdale, setting off a chain-reaction collision in which he was struck by a second vehicle, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The four-vehicle crash occurred about 8:40 p.m. on Valley Home Road north of Lambuth Avenue.
The preliminary investigation found that an Oakdale man, 26, was southbound at high speed on a 2003 Honda, approaching a 2017 Ford passenger van carrying eight people.
The rider, whose name has been withheld pending notification of family, hit the back of the van with enough force to cause it substantial damage, the CHP said.
The motorcyclist was ejected and came to rest in the roadway, where he almost instantaneously was struck by a northbound 2008 Acura sedan. The now-disabled Acura, driven by 28-year-old Nicolas T. Ramirez III, came to rest on the east shoulder of Valley Home Road.
Meantime, a southbound 2012 Ford pickup driven by Travis W. McRae, 33, struck the Honda, which had come to rest in the lane. The truck pushed the motorcycle along the roadway, the CHP said, and McRae lost control. He went off the southwest edge of the road and struck a wooden power pole, shearing it at its base.
McRae, who had one passenger, regained control of the pickup and drove onto the east shoulder of Valley Home Road. The motorcycle now lay near the power pole and caught fire.
Due to live wires on the ground, firefighters were not able to extinguish the flames until the power lines were de-energized.
The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The CHP news release indicated no injuries to any of the others involved, including van driver Christopher Shore, 44, and his passengers.
All drivers are listed as Oakdale residents.
It has yet to be determined if the motorcyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the CHP said.
This story was originally published March 28, 2021 at 10:04 AM.
