COARSEGOLD — A four-vehicle accident blocked both lanes of Highway 41 this evening for over an hour just south of Coarsegold.
At about 6:41 p.m., reports came in to 911 of a crash near Coyote Hollow Lane.
According to CHP on the scene, Hunter Smith, 20, of Coarsegold, was northbound in a Porsche Cayman S, and witnesses said he had been driving recklessly since the area of Road 200.
As the northbound passing lane ended near High Sierra Court, witnesses said Smith passed a car on the right-hand shoulder, and then continued on the shoulder, passing an F350 pickup about 150 feet past the end of the double lanes.
When he tried to move back into the traffic lane from the shoulder, the F350 had slowed due to traffic ahead, and the Porsche hit the right front tire of the F350, causing the 56-year-old driver, also from Coarsegold, to lose control of the truck, says CHP .
The F350 veered into the southbound lane where the left rear collided with the front of a southbound Volkswagen Passat, driven by a 55-year-old male, with a 54-year-old female passenger, both from Fresno.
The F350 continued on in the southbound lane, colliding with the side of a Mazda 3, driven by a 16-year-old female from Oakhurst.
The F350 came to rest blocking both north and southbound lanes, but the driver is credited with doing an excellent job of keeping the truck on its wheels.
There was major damage to the Passat, and both the driver and passenger were transported to Clovis Community Hospital with complaints of pain to the neck and ankle.
The driver of the Mazda was not injured, and the driver of the F350 suffered pain to his ankle, but declined to be transported for medical treatment.
After the crash, Smith pulled his Porsche into Fast Tire, and waited for CHP to arrive.
Witnesses told CHP that Smith had been swerving in and out of traffic, tailgating, and speeding before the accident. One man said that he was doing 70 mph, and the Porsche blew by him “like I was standing still.”
The roadway was closed in both directions for over an hour as the injured were readied for transport and the scene was cleared.
The accident remains under investigation.
I have personally witnessed him speeding on 41 in his porche. Hope they suspend his license and take away his car insurance. We are lucky he has not killed anyone … yet.
This must be the same: http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/oakhurst-chp-traffic-stop-investigation/241483338
imattf, yes that’s him… He tries to flip the blame on the CHP for an unsafe traffic stop. On Hunters Facebook page, he proudly displays a list of 14 traffic tickets he has received since 2014. Can’t believe he still has a license.