New Details On HWY 108 Fiery New Year’s Eve Crash
Sonora, CA – The CHP reports DUI as the cause of the New Year’s Eve Highway 108 collision, where one person was flown from the scene and traffic was stalled for almost two hours.
As we reported on Tuesday, 12/31/2024, at around 5:20 p.m., a two-vehicle crash behind the Walmart Store closed the highway from the Mono Way ramps to the South Washington Street and Lime Kiln Road intersection for more than an hour and a half. The CHP reports that 22-year-old Gustavo Ramirez of Jamestown was driving his 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan eastbound on Highway 108, east of Old Wards Ferry Road, at a high rate of speed. In front of him was 39-year-old Joseph Opie from Sonora, driving a 1993 Ford F-700. CHP spokesperson Officer Joshua McKernan detailed that Ramirez allowed the sedan to crash into the rear of the pickup, igniting a fire under the car.
Ramirez suffered serious injuries and was flown to Memorial Hospital in Modesto. One of the passengers of the truck sustained minor to moderate injuries.
Ramirez was arrested for felony driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. McKernan added, “He [Ramirez] was released to the care of Memorial Medical due to the extent of his injuries.”
