Wet morning makes for busy day of crashes for Merced’s CHP officers

Wet road conditions appeared to contribute to several crashes reported Wednesday in Merced County, the California Highway Patrol reported.

By 10 a.m., officers had responded to a handful of crashes, according to Officer Eric Zuniga. Drivers generally slow down while it’s actively raining, he said, but are too quick to speed up on wet roads after the rain stops.

“I’m pretty sure it’s all rain related,” he said about the morning crashes. “People need to slow down, take their time.”

Drivers should give themselves an extra 20 minutes to 30 minutes for their commutes and to slow down during and after rain, he said. The CHP had responded to several minor or non-injury calls on Wednesday, including one involving a train along Santa Fe Drive near Castle Airport.

In another incident, a Sacramento man lost control of his big rig while northbound on Highway 99 near the Mission Avenue exit and the truck crossed the median. The truck struck a Toyota Corolla headed southbound in the middle lane, and both vehicles came to rest on the right shoulder of the highway, Zuniga said.

The Toyota driver, a Fresno man, was taken to a Fresno hospital with minor injuries, he said, and the big rig driver was not harmed.

More wet roads are in Merced’s future.

Thursday was expected to be dry but there is more rain in the forecast, according to Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

“It looks like the pattern is going to stay active through early next week,” he said.

There is a chance for more rain Friday into Saturday, he said. Then, a dry Sunday is forecast to be followed by a wet early next week. The second storm is expected to be colder, so it comes with a higher chance of thunderstorms, Vasquez said.

A colder storm on Tuesday brought a tornado warning from the National Weather Service in parts of the county.

High temperatures are forecast in the mid- to low 60s through the coming Tuesday before warming on Wednesday.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Wet morning makes for busy day of crashes for Merced’s CHP officers."