Two Crashes In Calaveras On Christmas

The San Andreas CHP Office reports that there were two vehicle accidents last night that resulted in patients being taken to Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital.

The CHP says an alternator malfunction caused a vehicle's headlights to shut off on Highway 4, west of O'Byrnes Ferry Road, shortly after 6pm. The driver, 80-year-old Everett Crowston of Copperopolis, slammed into a road reflector and then overcorrected. His 1999 GMC Sonoma overturned and hit an oncoming Mazda 626 driven by 33-year-old Nicolas Lefler of Douglas Flat. Crowston was taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries. Lefler was not hurt.

An hour later, there was a two vehicle crash on Highway 4, just west of Appaloosa Road. The CHP says 70-year-old James Carson of Altaville lost control of his 2003 Ford F-150 and it started to fishtail. Carson overcorrected, and the vehicle went into the opposing traffic lane and hit a Ford F-250 driven by 57-year-old Diane Fullaway of Angels Camp.

Over the five-day holiday "Maximum Enforcement Period," the San Andreas CHP Office responded to six collisions, two injury accidents and had one DUI arrest.

Written by BJ Hansen