Two major vehicle accidents occurred over the weekend, with one ending in a fatality. The first occurred early Sunday afternoon on Stoney Creek Road north of Buena Vista Road. According to the California Highway Patrol, a 38-year old Stockton man was riding his motorcycle at about 35 mph when he saw gravel in the road, applied his brakes hard, causing his motorcycle to swerve in front of a car driven by a 26-year old Valley Springs woman. She was unable to avoid hitting the motorcyclist head-on – the Stockton man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second accident occurred on Sutter Creek Volcano Road late Sunday afternoon. According to witnesses, the driver of this car drifted off the side of the road east of Greenstone Road, over the embankment until it struck a tree. The driver was said to have been unconscious for some period of time and medics called for a helicopter which took Patricia Jolley, 57, of Sutter Creek to Mercy San Juan Hospital. CHP later arrested Jolley for driving under the influence of alcohol. pm Bill Lavallie contributed to this story.