Afternoon motorists were delayed on the way to their destinations on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 11, when a J.S. West & Company propane tank became dislodged, causing the tanker to roll on its side on Highway 120 north of River Road.

A Kia Sportage SUV was struck by the trailer during the collision. One person from the Kia was transported to the hospital for their injuries.

According to police reports, the tanker was part of a truck and dual-trailer combination that was traveling southbound on Highway 120 when it had to abruptly brake for stopped traffic at the red light at River and Rodden roads. The truck swerved which caused the second trailer to flip.

The accident, called in at 11:46 a.m., closed down northbound Highway 120 at the Stanislaus River Bridge, shutting down one of the only exits from the city. Oakdale Police units were tied up assisting CHP for over four hours diverting a heavy traffic flow at A Street to residential roadways. Sunday afternoons are peak times for the route due to many travelers returning from weekend trips to Yosemite, Lake Tulloch, Sonora, and other popular area destinations.

Fire crews also responded to the scene due to leakage from the tank. CHP officials said the leakage was slight and the propane was transferred from the damaged tank to another rig that had been called to the scene.

Highway 120 was opened back up at 3:53 p.m., after a four-hour shutdown for the accident investigation and clean-up operations.