Tuesday, 06 January 2009 00:07
Black Ice Causes One-Vehicle Crash
Amador County – Frozen snow melt caused a one-vehicle crash on Saturday morning on Highway 88 at Dew Drop in Pioneer. A pickup truck carrying 5 skiers headed for the mountains hit a patch of black ice as it ascended the hill at Dew Drop on Highway 88. The truck went out of control and crashed into a snow bank, flipping the vehicle over and coming to rest on its side. Generally, Highway 88 had ice on the road from Pine Grove on up to Kirkwood on Saturday. Caltrans sand trucks were on the road at the time of the wreck but the particular spot involved was troublesome because snow melts during the day and covers the road, then at night it turns to a thin sheet of ice. Cars driving up the hill reportedly were arriving in the area while fully accelerating when the rear wheels hit the ice, then their back end loses traction, causing the vehicles to spin out of control. Injuries were minor and no one was taken to the hospital. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).