Wrong-way driver causes crash near Atwater, says CHP
A suspected wrong-way driver was taken to a Fresno hospital with major injuries Sunday morning after causing a crash on northbound Highway 99 in the Atwater area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The names of those involved in the crash were not immediately available Sunday morning.
The chain of events began just after 9 a.m. after reports were made to CHP about an erratic driver traveling southbound on Highway 99, according to Sgt. Gerardo Serrato. A CHP officer had been conducting a traffic stop on southbound Highway 99, north of Winton Way. A witness alerted the officer about the erratic driver, who was driving a white truck with a camper shell. The officer placed a call to dispatch, and around the same time another witness had placed a call alerting law enforcement.
CHP officers spotted the white Dodge Ram pickup traveling southbound on Highway 99 near Hammatt Avenue near Livingstone. Officers attempted to initiate a vehicle stop, but the driver of the truck did not pull over. The driver of the truck continued southbound, and then crossed over the median and traveled into the northbound lanes of the highway. The driver proceeded to travel southbound in the northbound No. 1 lane of the highway.
Meanwhile, a Chevy Malibu carrying three occupants was traveling in the correct direction in the No. 1 lane of the northbound side of the freeway. Fearing a collision with the oncoming Dodge Ram, the driver of the Malibu took evasive maneuvers. However, the driver of the Malibu was unable to completely avoid a crash, and the Ram clipped the right side of his vehicle.
After the crash the Dodge Ram crashed into a guardrail and went off the edge of the highway. The Dodge traveled down an embankment, overturned and landed on Atwater Boulevard near Maple Street. The Malibu came to a stop on the highway after the crash.
After the rollover, the Dodge Ram burst into flames. Responding CHP officers were able suppress the flames until firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire. The driver of the Ram was extricated from the truck and taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Serrato said.
The driver of the Malibu had visible injuries that appeared to be minor. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, and the front passenger was treated as a precaution. The rear passenger in the Malibu was not hurt.
Serrato said it’s still unknown whether the driver of the Ram was impaired, and the reasons why he did not pull over for law enforcement are also under investigation. Atwater Boulevard near Maple Street was closed for several hours while CHP and Atwater police addressed the scene.
This story was originally published January 18, 2015 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Wrong-way driver causes crash near Atwater, says CHP."