Solo Vehicle Crashes into Tree on Jackson Avenue

WeEscalon – May 28, 2017.

Escalon, California – Escalon Police Department, Escalon Fire Department, and Escalon Community Ambulance Services responded to a solo vehicle versus tree. The accident was reported Saturday (06/27/17) about 7:59 p.m. and occurred on Jackson Avenue near Third Street. The accident involved a solo red Toyota RAV4 with two male occupants. Escalon Police Department is the primary investigating agency in this accident.

Upon arriving on the scene, emergency personnel attempted to aid the driver and passenger of the vehicle, but the passenger became uncooperative with fire personnel. An Escalon police officer detained the male subject and placed him in the back of his patrol car. After placing the subject into the patrol car, the officer returned to interviewing witnesses of the crash. While the officers were investigating the accident, a passerby advised them that a lady with a blue shirt had just opened the back door of the patrol car and let the male subject out of the unit. The male subject was able to run away. The police were unable to locate him, but they quickly located the female that was accused of letting the detainee out of the police car in the crowd of bystanders. She was detained, cuffed, and placed in the back of the patrol car. The female was later taken to the police station to be cited and released.

Other drivers, heading into Escalon, reported seeing the red Toyota westbound on Highway 120, before reaching town, moving and passing other cars at a high rate of speed. Witnesses of the crash said the driver of the red Toyota was traveling westbound on Jackson Avenue at a high rate of speed and was rounding the curve in the roadway just before losing control of his vehicle. After the driver lost control of the Toyota, witnesses said it crossed the eastbound lane of Jackson Avenue and crashed head on into a large tree on the southside of the road. Witnesses in the area said the impact sounded like a loud explosion. The battery in the vehicle exploded on impact and the airbags did deploy. There was major damage to the front end of the RAV4. The vehicle appeared to be totaled.

The driver was treated on scene by Escalon Community Ambulance medical technicians and was transported by ambulance from the crash site to Doctors Hospital in Modesto with unknown injuries. It appeared no other vehicles had been involved in the accident. Speed and intoxication may have been a factor in this accident.

The accident caused moderate delays and detours for traffic on Jackson Avenue near Third Street. The damaged vehicle, along with emergency vehicles, was blocking the eastbound lane of Jackson Avenue. The roadway was reduced to a controlled one lane of traffic. There was also some debris in the roadway causing issues. McDowell tow services was called out to remove the vehicle from the crash site.