Two drivers sustained serious injuries in a Thursday evening, June 12 collision along Highway 120 outside Oakdale and a Modesto man died of injuries suffered in a solo vehicle rollover on Monday, June 16 in the Waterford area.
California Highway Patrol personnel out of the Modesto office investigated both incidents.
In the Thursday accident, officials reported the two-vehicle collision occurred around 9 p.m.
According to the CHP report, a driver identified as Lance Wettersten, 43, of Pleasant Hill, was driving a 1986 Toyota pickup eastbound on State Route 120, east of Cleveland Avenue. At the same time, Daniel Crooks, 65, of Tracy was driving a 2007 Ford SUV westbound on the highway, east of Cleveland Avenue, approaching the Toyota. For unknown reasons at this time, Wettersten turned his vehicle to the left, partially entering the westbound lane directly toward the Ford. The left front of the Toyota struck the left front of the Ford. Both vehicles came to rest on the south shoulder of the roadway.
Wettersten was taken by air ambulance to Doctors Medical Center with major injuries and Crooks was taken by air ambulance to Memorial Hospital, also with major injuries. The drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles.
Investigating officers said drugs and/or alcohol did not contribute to the collision and both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.
In the other area incident, the CHP received a call about 4:15 p.m. Monday, June 16 of a crash on State Route 132, east of Rushing Road near Waterford.
Emergency personnel arrived on scene and located a Ford pickup with major damage on the north shoulder. A male adult was located on the north shoulder a short distance away from the pickup. The man, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Zachariah Zane Law, 29, of Modesto, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The preliminary CHP investigation indicates Law was driving a 2002 Ford pickup westbound on SR-132, approaching Rushing Road. He allowed the pickup to leave the north shoulder. The pickup overturned and the driver was ejected onto the dirt shoulder.
It is unknown if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to this crash. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision, noted the CHP report.
