Interstate 5 Big Rig Catches Fire near Patterson

May 6, 2014- A tractor trailer truck caught fire in a vehicle accident on I-5, in Stanislaus County.  The incident happened on Tuesday, near Patterson, at approximately 5 AN.

A semi truck carrying appliances, was driving north on Interstate 5.  The big rig caught fire, and soon became fully engulfed in flames, while it was near Fink Road.  The fire spread to nearby grass, which prompted officials to close the highway until it was contained.

It was revealed that the truck had a possible fuel leak.

No injuries have been reported.

Issues still remaining to be investigated include determining the speed of the big rig, whether road conditions may have contributed to this accident, and whether there was a malfunction in the vehicle.  If you would like these issues investigated further then please call Attorney John Rozier, your personal injury lawyer, at 559-713-0159  or reach us at www.nelsonrozier.com. 

June 23 Livingston accident kills one

On June 23 a man was killed in a two-vehicle accident at Central and Liberty Avenues in Livingston. Reportedly the victim, a Merced resident, was driving east on Liberty Avenue approaching Central Avenue. Meanwhile Reginald Bronson was driving south on Central Avenue approaching Liberty Avenue. The victim failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection and drove right into the path of Bronson's Ford. The front of the Ford hit the driver's side of the victim's Honda. The victim was airlifted to a Modesto hospital where he later died.

June 23 ATV accident kills Oakdale teen

On June 23 Kaitlynn Louis of Oakdale was killed when the ATV she was riding was hit by a vehicle just east of Modesto. Reportedly Louis was riding along a canal bank that ran parallel to McGee Avenue when she turned onto Rice Road. Shortly after turning onto Rice she was hit by a westbound Chevrolet driven by James Rebiero. Louis was then thrown from the ATV and later taken to Memorial Medical Center where she later died. Ribiero suffered minor injuries.

June 27 Turlock accident kills one and injures four

On June 27 a four-year-old boy was killed and four other people were injured in an accident at Bradbury and South Walnut Roads in Turlock. Reportedly Melissa Moody was eastbound on Bradbury Road in her Mini Cooper when she hit a vehicle driven by Daniel Valle waiting to turn left. Moody's vehicle then spun into oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a vehicle driven by Alfredo Correa. Moody's four-year-old was killed as a result of the accident. Moody's 2-year-old suffered major injuries and was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center. Melissa Moody was airlifted to Memorial Medical center with major injuries. Correa and a passenger in his vehicle, Abel Cortez, were both taken to Doctors hospital with minor injuries. Valle escaped the the accident uninjured.

June 4 fatal accident in Modesto

On June 4 a Modesto woman died in a wrongful death accident on West Briggsmore Avenue near Tully Road in Modesto. According to reports her vehicle was headed east on West Briggsmore when she lost control of the vehicle, went off the south side of the road, and hit some small trees. This accident is still under investigation, but alcohol is believed to have been a factor.

May 7 motorcycle accident on Highway 99 in Turlock

 On May 7 a motorcyclist was injured in an accident on Highway 99 just south of Turlock. Reportedly the motorcycle hit a car and possible a truck as well. The southbound lanes of Highway 99 were closed for a period of time while a helicopter landed to take the motorcyclist to the hospital. No further details are available at this time.

April 28 Modesto bicycle accident on Modesto puts 12-year-old girl in critical condition

 On April 28 Na'Keisha White was put in a coma after she was hit by a pickup truck while riding her bike on Carver Road in Modesto. Reportedly White was riding north on Carver Road across Briggsmore Avenue when she was hit by a pickup truck and thrown from her bike. She was given CPR by a neighbor before emergency crews arrived. White is now in critical condition at Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland where she has been placed in a medically induce coma to help her brain swelling subside. No further information regarding the identity of the driver or the cause of the accident are available at this time.

April 19 pedestrian accident in Hughson in Stanislaus County

On April 19 four people were injured, including a five-year-old boy and his grandfather, when the boy and his grandfather were hit by a car while crossing the parking lot at the boy's elementary school in Stanislaus County. Reportedly the boy and his grandfather were crossing the parking lot of Hughson Elementary School when they were hit by a Honda Accord. The vehicle rolled over the child and he was air lifted to a local hospital for treatment. His grandfather and the driver of the vehicle were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries. The grandfather was pushed into a third pedestrian who also suffered minor injuries. No further information is available at this time.

March 21 accident on Scenic Drive in Modesto

On March 21 a woman and her dog were injured in an accident in Modesto. According to reports the woman was driving east on Scenic Drive when, for unknown reason, she lost control of her vehicle. Then she hit a light pole near Bodem Street and knocked it over. The driver was pinned in her vehicle until rescue crews removed the door and pulled her out. She was taken to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries. The dog in the vehicle dog was taken by animal control officers to a local shelter.

March 4 fatal rollover accident in Stanislaus County

On March 4 one man was killed and five other people were injured in a rollover accident on I-5 near Newman in Stanislaus County. According to reports Paula Jacobo was traveling north on I-5 in a Ford Expedition when she made a sudden lane change. Then she sharply turned left and lost control of the vehicle. The Expedition then left the road and rolled over. She was traveling with an adult male passenger and four children. The man and three of the four children in the vehicle were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.  The three unbuckled children were taken to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries. The driver and the fourth child were wearing seat belts and only suffered minor injuries. However, the man was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

February 14 wrongful death accident in Ceres

In the early morning hours of February 14 Johnny Lopez and Jose Beltran, both students at Johansen High School in Modesto, were killed in a wrongful death accident in Ceres involving a stolen vehicle. According to reports the two boys along with two others were riding in a car that had been stolen from Ceres then took it on a joy ride. The 16-year-old, unidentified driver lost control of the vehicle on River Road, hit a curb, left the road, hit a fire hydrant, turned on its side and hit a tree, roof first. Lopez and Beltran were passengers in the car. The driver and the 15-year-old, unidentified  passenger are being charged with possession of a stolen car. The driver is also facing charges of vehicular manslaughter.

February 5 wrongful death motorcycle accident in Manteca

On February 5 Hans Bannemer died in a motorcycle accident on Highway 99 in Manteca. According to reports Bannemer was riding south on Highway 99 near East Yosemite Avenue in Manteca at a high rate of speed when he drifted into the median. Then he lost control of his bike and hit the guardrail. He was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

February 1 wrongful death accident on Highway 99 in Modesto

On February 1 Max Cabrera was killed in a single-vehicle, wrongful death accident on Highway 99 in Modesto. Reportedly Cabrera was driving south on Highway 99 south of Kansas Avenue when he went across the southbound lanes and off the road. His vehicle then hit a concrete wall, continued south, and then hit a road sign and a tree. Cabrera was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

February 1 fatal pedestrian accident in Waterford, Stanislaus County

On February 1 Alicia Ortiz was killed when she was hit by a car while crossing Oakdale Waterford Highway near Bonnie Brae Avenue. Reportedly Ortiz was crossing the highway when she was hit by a northbound Ford pickup truck and horse trailer. Ortiz suffered major injuries and was taken to a local hospital where she later died from the injuries sustained in the accident.

December 12 Sonora accident

On December 12 there was an accident in Sonora on Stockton Road that left a teenager in critical condition. According to reports Shawn Helfrich was the driver in the eastbound Corvette on Stockton Road when he looked down at the radio. When Helfrich looked back at the road there was an animal in front of his vehicle. He swerved the vehicle to attempt to avoid the animal and caused the vehicle to flip. There was a 16-year-old passenger and a 15-year-old passenger in the vehicle in addition to Helfrich. The 16-year-old did not suffer any injuries, however the 15-year-old was airlifted to a Modesto hospital in critical condition. Helfrich also had minor injuries.

Contact Visalia personal injury Attorney John Rozier if you would like this accident investigated further.

December 1 accident in Modesto on Scenic Drive

On December 1 there was an accident on Scenic Drive near Eastridge Drive in Modesto. Reportedly a Jeep drifted across the middle line going around 50 mph and subsequently hit a pickup truck that was also traveling about 50 mph. The drivers of both vehicles were pinned in their respective vehicles. Both drivers suffered major injuries, but only the injuries sustained by the driver of the Jeep are considered to be potentially life threatening.

November 17 train accident in Oakdale

On November 17 there was an accident involving a train and a car in Oakdale. Reportedly the vehicle was eastbound on J Street near Yosemite Avenue when it was hit by the southbound train. Only minor injuries were reported as a result of the accident. No further details are available at this time.

October 19 fatal ATV accident in Stanislaus County

On October 19 William Robert Clark was killed when he crashed his ATV in Stanislaus National Forest. Reportedly the Sonora resident was on an ATV trail when he passed two other ATV riders. His high speed prevented him from properly negotiating a right-hand turn and he went flying down a mountainside. While he was wearing a helmet, Clark died from head injuries.

September 27 fatal accident near Newman in Stanislaus County

On September 27 Alonzo Ibarra was killed after crashing his car into an irrigation canal. The accident happened on Hallowell Road in Stanislaus County near Newman. According to reports Ibarra was westbound on Hallowell Road and his friend Roberto Haro in the passenger seat when he went through a T-intersection at Draper Road. His vehicle then hit an embankment and flipped over into the canal. Haro was luckily able to escape through the broken windshield, but unfortunately Ibarra was not able to get out of the vehicle. Ibarra was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

June 6 accident involving three big rigs on Highway 99 results in death

On July 6 a man was killed in and accident between three big rigs on  near Turlock on Highway 99 in Stanislaus County.  According to reports, the first big rig driver, Marcus Task, had stopped on the shoulder of the road. Task was attempting to reenter the roadway when the second big rig driver, Jaime Henriquez, saw Task’s truck and slowed to let him in. unfortunately, the third big rig driver did not see that Henriquez had slowed down. He then subsequently hit the back of Henriquez’s trailer. This caused the third cab to crush about 15 feet inward and erupt into flames. The flames then spread to the trailer of Henriquez’s truck. The third big rig driver was killed in the accident. His name has not been released until he can be identified via dental records. www.nelsonrozier.com