SUGAR PINE – A single-vehicle accident on Highway 41 near Sugar Pine slowed the evening exodus from Yosemite for a while this afternoon when traffic control was put in place.
Just before 5 p.m. a southbound Toyota 4-Runner, driven by Mao Lee, 42, of Merced, drove off the embankment just south of Road 630, and 25 feet down into the trees.
Though a language barrier was a challenge to investigators, it appears that Lee was driving too fast for the winding mountain road, and allowed her vehicle to drift off the right shoulder on a tight left-hand curve. She apparently then over-corrected, skidding back across both lanes of traffic and down the steep embankment.
Neng Fang, 42, also of Merced, was a passenger in the vehicle. Both were able to extract themselves from the wreck.
Madera County Fire Engine #12 Oakhurst and Squad #18 Cedar Valley responded to the scene, along with Sierra Ambulance.
Fang complained of some pain and was transported to Madera for medical treatment. Lee was not injured.
The Toyota suffered major damage, and the road was closed for about 15 minutes while Doc’s Towing hauled it up the bank and out of the roadway.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
