Police arrested a big rig driver after he allegedly caused a crash that killed one and injured five more, including an 11-year-old boy with major injuries.
The 8 a.m. Feb. 14 accident happened on State Route 4 in San Joaquin County near Discovery Bay.
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The truck allegedly crossed the double-yellow line as it headed westbound on State Route 4 near South Tracy Boulevard and crashed head-on into an eastbound 2010 Dodge Journey. The truck continued, and sideswiped a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country, according to news reports.
The crash killed the 35-year-old male driver of the Dodge Journey, and the 11-year-old passenger suffered major injuries.
A 32-year-old woman drove the Town and Country. She had three juvenile passengers— ages 11 months, 4 and 9 years old. As a result of the accident, they all suffered minor injuries. Hospital staff treated them at a local hospital.
News reports state that the two parties in the Chrysler and the Dodge were family members.
Paramedics took the 54-year-old truck driver to Sutter Tracy Hospital where personnel treated him for moderate injuries and then transferred him to the San Joaquin County jail.
Everyone involved, including the truck driver, resides in Stockton.
The highway remained closed most of Friday as crews cleared the wreckage, including the truck’s load of concrete blocks. Caltrans estimated the reopening time to be about 6 p.m.
About 4,761 people lost their lives in crashes with big rigs in 2017. Nearly three-fourths of the lives lost occupied the other vehicles, not the big rig. In addition, 3 percent of those truck drivers involved in deadly crashes had a blood alcohol that met or exceeded the legal limit of .08.