One Crash Caused Another With A Fire Engine
Twain Harte, CA – The CHP is releasing new information on a pickup and fire engine crash on Highway 108 near Twain Harte.
The collision happened around 1:13 p.m. last Friday (Feb. 25) near the second entrance to Twain Harte causing traffic delays. While trying to protect first responders and victims in a separate crash on Highway 108, a Twain Harte fire engine partially blocked the roadway and ended up being hit. It is standard practice according to Tuolumne County Fire Department officials.
CHP spokesperson Sgt. Adam Croxton relayed that 53-year-old Calin Smith of Pinecrest was driving his 1982 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer carrying another vehicle westbound on the highway. He added that when Smith saw the fire engine, he slammed on his brakes but “due to his speed and the fact his trailer was not equipped with trailer brakes, he was unable to stop and smashed into the side of the engine.”
A lack of trailer brakes is a common concern, as motorists may think just plugging the trailer into the vehicle is enough. Sgt. Croxton advises making sure trailer brakes are set and adjusted properly before hitting the road by testing them. He added, “In order for your trailer brakes to work you need some type of trailer brake module installed in your vehicle. Some of the newer models have built-in integrated trailer brake modules but an older truck needs some type of after-market trailer brake module system in order for those brakes to work properly.”
Smith’s passenger, Christine Smith, suffered minor injuries to both of her hands and was transported to Adventist Health, Sonora for treatment. Neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to be factors of this crash.
