Update: Deadly Vehicle Accident On Old Priest Grade

CHP MML File Photo

Update at 12:55 p.m.: The CHP has an update on a deadly incident on Old Priest Grade in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County this morning.

The fatality occurred around 8:40 a.m., near the bottom of the grade. CHP spokesperson Officer Steve Machado reports, “A 68-year-old man from Groveland was stopped in a 2023 Ford F150 Lightning pickup truck at the grade stop sign and Highway 120. The driver partially exited the vehicle while still in drive, and the truck began to roll forward, running the driver over.” The pickup then continued rolling forward, going off the road and smashing into several fences until it came to rest in an open field.

The driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene. This crash remains under investigation, and the driver’s identity is being withheld pending notification to the family. The roadway is open to traffic again.

Original post written by BJ Hansen at 10:31 a.m.:  Tuolumne County, CA — The CHP is investigating a fatal incident that occurred near the bottom of Old Priest Grade at around 8:40 this morning.

The Sonora Area CHP office reports that the preliminary information indicates that a man stepped out of his vehicle near the bottom of the grade, and somehow it went backward and rolled over him. The vehicle then continued down a hill and crashed into a nearby PG&E building.

The man was pronounced dead by arriving emergency officials. No additional information is immediately available.

An investigation is ongoing in the area. The roadway was initially closed but has now reopened. Be prepared for activity nearby.