Hitchhiker Killed In Rollover Wreck Monday

A hitchhiker was killed yesterday after being ejected from the car that picked him up, when it ran off the road and overturned.

It happened on Highway 4, a mile west of the Calaveras County line.

47-year-old Larry Williams of Murphys was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter.

The name of the victim has not been released yet, pending notification of relatives, although we do know he was a 54-year-old man, with addresses in Arnold and in Berkeley.

Williams picked up the man in Farmington and was taking him to Arnold, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The wreck happened when Williams reached for a cassette tape on the floor of the car. He lost control and the car went off the road, rolled several times, and ended up in Hoods Creek.

Williams had his seat belt on, but the hitchhiker did not.