Calaveras County Suffers Sixth Traffic Related Fatality

By Published Mar 30, 2009 05:30 am Updated Mar 30, 2009 05:22 am

San Andreas, CA — 55 year old Ardis Cook of West Point became the sixth traffic related fatality of the year in Calaveras County Friday evening when she was killed on Hwy 26 west of Pine Crest Drive.

According to the CHP report Cook was eastbound at 5pm when she attempted to negotitate a left hand curve in the roadway. Due to her suspected level of intoxication she under-steered her 1994 Ford pickup and ran off the roadway. She immediately overcorrected to the left and lost control of her vehicle. The pickup proceeded to cross both lanes, struck the embankment and rolled over ejecting Cook who was not wearing her seat belt.

Cook´s vehicle came to rest on top of a westbound vehicle (1991 Dodge pickup) driven by 18 year old William Taylor of West Point. Neither Taylor or his two passengers, 16 year old Elizabeth Baseman and 15 year old Nicole Nitchey both of Valley Springs, were seriously injured.

13 people have now been killed in traffic related fatalities in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties so far this year.