NORTH FORK — A crash on Road 274 reduced traffic to one lane for over an hour today near the south end of Bass Lake.
At about 11:43 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21, Christian Williams, 26, of Oakhurst, was northbound approaching Central Camp Road. He told police he was fiddling with some loose wires in the radio of the 1995 Chevrolet Blazer he was driving, which was apparently borrowed from someone else.
That distraction caused him to cross into the southbound lane and hit the rocky embankment on the left side of the road. The Blazer then flipped over and skidded some 200 feet on its roof before finally coming to rest, blocking the southbound lane.
Williams was able to extricate himself from the vehicle, and the accident was reported by Forest Service law enforcement who were in the area.
Cal Fire Engine 4285 responded to assist, and one-lane traffic control was put in place.
Williams had lacerations to his left hand, but refused medical treatment and the EMS dispatch was called off.
As CHP officers investigated the accident, they found a crack pipe and remnants of marijuana in the detritus from the Blazer.
They administered a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer, and determined that Williams was not intoxicated. A request that charges be filed for possession of paraphernalia will be sent to the District Attorney.
Williams has a history of arrests for drug-related offenses, and has been booked into Madera County Jail on at least five separate occasions since 2008.
The totaled Blazer was cleared from the roadway by 12:48 p.m.
No other vehicles were involved, and there were no passengers in the Blazer.
