Woodland, California – August 9, 2011
A blazing pile-up on Interstate 5 Monday afternoon killed three people and injured seven others.
According to the California Highway Patrol, six vehicles smashed in a chain-reaction in southbound traffic on Interstate 5 about 12:40 p.m. The impact of the collision set five of the six the vehicles ablaze near the County Road 102 interchange. The vehicles that caught fire appeared to be a Jeep, a small sedan, a semi and two sport-utility vehicles. Two vehicles went off the road in the grass setting the grass on fire.
One of the vehicles seemed to be a Chevrolet Tahoe. A man and woman were stuck in the sport-utility vehicle. A girl, 2, was also stuck in a smaller vehicle. All three were killed in the crash or the fires according to the Yolo County Coroner’s office. The adults in the vehicle with the girl attempted to pull her from the vehicle, but were forced back by the fire.
There were seven other individuals injured in the wreck. They received medical attention from the Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael and the University of California – Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the number of fatalities along America’s roadways declined in 2010 for the fifth-straight year. The total number of highway deaths last year was 32,788, down 3 percent over 2009.
UPDATE: According to the California Highway Patrol ,the bobtail truck involved in this accident was moving at an unsafe and high speed when it approached the slowing traffic near a construction area. The truck moved into a left lane for a closed lane and crashed into slowing moving vehicles.
A man from Elk Grove, 38, was driving the truck. He suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital with a broken wrist, burns and cuts on his head. He was trapped in his rolled
The man, 53, and woman, 49, that were killed in the 2004 Chevrolet sport-utility vehicle in this collision were both from Oregon.
The girl, 2, was in a 1996 Acura Integra. In the vehicle with the girl were a woman from Washington, 21, and a Riverside man, 61. They were taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center for medical attention to moderate injuries they suffered.
Lower Lake resident 51-year-old Laurie Ward was driving the 2010 Ford van that was rear-ended in the collision. It was also the only vehicle that did not burst into flames.
There wre four people in the 1998 Ford Expedition that was a part of the chain-reaction. They were all taken to University of California – Davis Medical Center. Three had been released from the hospital Tuesday. A woman, 39, was still being treated, but was listed in good condition.
UPDATE: The Yolo County Coroner’s office has identified those killed in this accident as Linda D. Taylor, 49, and Robert L. Taylor, 53, a couple from Monmouth, Oregon.
The Tacoma, Washington, girl has been identified as La-nessa L. DeMillo, 2.
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