OAKHURST – An accident last night between a truck and an SUV at the intersection of Highway 41 and Highway 49 had bystanders horrified from the apparent severity of the crash, yet the parties involved were seemingly uninjured according to reports.
About 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, a 2002 Chevy Silverado truck driven by a Coarsegold woman, 51, was traveling south on Highway 41, says CHP officer Chris Lutz. According to multiple witness statements, the Silverado ran a red light, just as a 2002 Ford Explorer, driven by an Oakhurst woman, 29, was turning left from northbound Highway 41 onto Highway 49.
The Silverado broadsided the Explorer, says Officer Lutz, and the Explorer overturned, landing on the driver’s side. The Silverado spun as its tail end rotated clockwise, and the vehicle came to a complete stop in the middle of the intersection facing toward Highway 49. The rolled Explorer faced the same direction.
Despite damage to the vehicles as a result of the crash, only minor injuries were reported and no arrests were made. The driver of the Explorer was carrying a dog, and was good-natured and immensely relieved to find her dog was uninjured, Lutz says. The driver of the Silverado had some pain in her legs, but was examined at the scene and released. With so many people on the street, the officer adds, it’s surprising no one was hurt.
“It’s amazing, because the cars were in bad shape. There were some fortunate incidents within an unfortunate situation.”
Cal Trans was called to the scene to apply absorbant on the ground for fluids in the aftermath of the crash. The accident remains under investigation at this time
