CHP MML File Photo
Keystone, CA – The CHP has released new details regarding a recent collision on J-59 near Lake Don Pedro that involved a vehicle colliding with several objects.
The early morning crash occurred on Dec. 13, 2025, south of Old Don Pedro Road near the Keystone area of Tuolumne County. As reported here, at that time, the CHP detailed that two vehicles collided with serious injuries. CHP spokesperson Officer Joshua McKernan updates that it was a solo vehicle crash. He reports that 26-year-old Tyler Simpson, from Winton, was driving a 2004 Toyota Solara sedan southbound on LaGrange Road at an unknown speed.
“Simpson made an unsafe turning movement to the right. The Toyota drove off the road, crashing into an embankment,” disclosed McKernan. “The sedan continued further off the roadway, crashing with a metal gate connected to barbed wire fencing, overturning, and smashing into a wooden fence.”
The Toyota ended up on its roof in an adjacent field, with its airbags deployed and Simpson held in by a seatbelt, according to McKernan, who added, “Simpson suffered moderate injuries to his face and head and was transported by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Alcohol use is thought to be a contributing factor in this crash.”
Written by Tracey Petersen.
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