COARSEGOLD – A two vehicle accident on Deadwood caused a bit of a slowdown during the morning commute, and the thrashing of a prized possession.
At about 8 a.m. Kent Lincoln, 43, of Coarsegold, a teacher and coach at Yosemite High School, was northbound on Highway 41 approaching Road 420 in the right-hand lane.
Steven Castelletto, 32, of Coarsegold, was at the stop sign on Road 420, preparing to turn left onto Highway 41 to head south.
According to the CHP officer who responded to the crash, the windows in Castelletto’s 2003 Honda were fogged up, and though the driver said he looked left and right before proceeding, he failed to see the 1985 Jeep Wrangler approaching.
Castelletto pulled out onto 41 directly into the path of the Jeep. Kent Lincoln immediately moved into the fast lane, and couldn’t move any further to the left because there was a car coming in the southbound lane.
The CHP says Lincoln almost managed to avoid the collision, but the right rear wheel of of his Jeep was clipped by the Honda, flipping the Jeep onto its side.
There were two young children in the Honda, but apparently everyone was secured, and all involved suffered only minor bumps and bruises.
A friend of Lincoln’s says that the pain of any potential injuries would be nothing compared to 
the pain of seeing his beloved Jeep in that condition.
Sierra Ambulance, Cal Trans and the Sheriff’s Department were on scene along with CHP, and one lane of southbound Highway 41 was closed for a while as the accident was cleared.
The driver of the Honda van was able to drive his vehicle away, while the Jeep had to be towed. Mr. Lincoln’s wife and kids came to the scene to collect him.
