Two mishaps keep CHP busy in SN

SANTA NELLA – A pair of accidents kept the California Highway Patrol busy in the Santa Nella area Friday, April 25, with one forcing the late-afternoon closure of Interstate 5 for nearly two hours.

The driver in one crash sustained moderate injuries, but all other parties involved escaped unharmed.

The first mishap occurred shortly before 6 a.m., when a northbound milk tanker overturned as its driver attempted to negotiate the off-ramp from I-5 to northbound Highway 33, according to California Highway Patrol officer Mike Panelli.

The tanker slid into two southbound vehicles that were stopped at a stop sign on Highway 33.

The driver of the 2004 Freightliner, 53-year-old Jimmy Hill of Merced, was transported to Memorial Medical Center with injuries described as moderate, according to CHP reports.

Neither of the drivers parked at the stop sign were injured, reports indicate. They were identified as Wayne Smith, 40, of Gustine, who was driving a 2004 Infiniti that had minor damage, and Dale Strickler, 51, of Gustine, who was driving a 2006 Chevrolet which had moderate crash damage.

The second accident occurred on Interstate 5 near Santa Nella shortly after 3 p.m., when a northbound 2008 Buick Enclave driven by Howard Bloom, 88, of Piedmont, left the roadway for unknown reasons, clipped a guard rail in the center divider and veered across the southbound traffic lanes and off the roadway.

The vehicle struck a power pole, Panelli said, causing the power lines to sag above the roadway. A passing big rig struck the wires, knocking them to the ground across the traffic lanes and forcing the closure of the interstate.

The incident also sparked a grass fire, according to CHP reports.

Panelli said the interstate was reopened at about 5 p.m.

No injuries were reported in that accident, Panelli said, but damage to the rented Buick was major.