Crash Ignites Grass Fire In Tuolumne
Tuolumne, CA – A solo-vehicle crash caused grass under the vehicle to ignite, with the driver still inside.
The CHP reports the driver, 22-year-old, Arissa Helen Jones from Tuolumne, fell asleep behind the wheel while traveling along Cherokee Road, off Tuolumne Road in Tuolumne. It was around 1:15 a.m. on Thursday when the vehicle went off the roadway on a curve, smashed into a tree and then a boulder. It came to rest on some grass that caught on fire and then the flames engulfed the vehicle.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, flames were shooting out of the vehicle, but luckily, just minutes before that happened, Jones was able to free herself from the wreckage. She suffered moderate injuries and was treated at Adventist Health Sonora. No update was given on her condition.
The blaze did not threaten any structures and fire crews were able to extinguish the flames quickly. The CHP reports they do not suspect alcohol or drugs played a role in this collision.
