What Happened in the Jameson Canyon Crash?
The latest fatality on the region's most notorious highway is still under investigation, but some facts are known, authorities say. By Bay City News Service.
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One person was killed and eight others were injured in a four-vehicle crash on state Highway 12 in Napa County near the Solano County line this morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
The crash shut down Highway 12 between state Highway 29 and Interstate Highway 80, and the road was expected to remain closed until at least 6 p.m., CHP Officer Jaret Paulson said.
The accident happened around 10:35 a.m. when a westbound Ford Escort drove into the path of an eastbound Cal Fire flatbed big-rig that was hauling a bulldozer, Paulson said.
The head-on crash pushed the Ford back into a westbound Nissan
minivan that was traveling behind it, Paulson said.
The flatbed truck then struck the guardrail on the opposite side of the road before hitting a westbound Toyota Prius, Paulson said.
The driver of the Ford, a man in his 50s, died at the scene, Paulson said.
Seven people in the minivan and the driver of the Prius were hospitalized, Paulson said. The driver of the Cal Fire truck was not injured.
The CHP initially reported that the truck might have blown a tire before the collision but that does not appear to be the case, Paulson said.
The crash blocked both eastbound and westbound lanes.
Cal Fire Division Chief David Shew said the flatbed was hauling a bulldozer back to a Cal Fire site in Siskiyou County.
The bulldozer was in Napa County as backup equipment for firefighters battling a 715-acre vegetation fire near Fairfield and a 10- to 15-acre fire in eastern Napa County this weekend, Shew said.
Paulson said it is too early to say whether alcohol was a factor
in the crash. The vehicles were still at the scene as of 4 p.m., he said.
The accident happened in a no-passing area of the two-lane highway, Paulson said.
By Bay City News Service.
Larry Cereghino
7:27 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
I travel the road all the time..you just never know what will happen on the drive thru,People try to be safe at all time's,We all have to stay alert and drive safe at all time,even if you need to slow down a little..One time I had a Motor coach onmy tail..all the way thru ..If I was able to get his plate number I would have..
Yes..sorry to see so many get hurt and the life that is gone..
John K. Ruch
9:41 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
Napa and Solano county residents voted in 2006 against a 1/2 cent sales tax that would have gone towards road projects such as widening Jameson Canyon. That is one half cent on every dollar you spend in town.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-06-07/bay-area/17301353_1_solano-county-sales-taxes-tax-proposal
Banning big rigs on that road is not a viable solution. The road is too narrow for a median concrete barrier. Drive carefully? Sure. Tell that to the guy driving the van behind the Escort. Ok sure, we can all take American Canyon road - 6 miles further and safer (and probably 45 minutes longer with the traffic).
Sometimes, just sometimes more taxes are needed by the state and local government to fund projects to protect citizens.
One half cent on every dollar. Nope too much. No more taxes. Lets take our chances in Jameson Canyon. One half cent on every dollar. If we had agreed to this back in 2006, we might be on the way to having a safer major road in and out of Napa.
Tim Thulin
7:52 am on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
As John points out, the taxpayers decided not to increase their tax burden. I voted for it but there were reasons why a reasonable person would have voted against it. I don't mind paying more taxes for the good of the community, I voted for the flood control project. Here's the big BUT! But if you increase the sales tax and the money doesn't cover the right mix of projects for different Napa communities it may be a poor choice, it's going to be harder to come back to the community and ask for another tax increase to do necessary work. When we vote on a sales tax increase we have to get it right because we can't come back to that well again anytime soon. The state is now funding the Highway 12 widening project. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/featured-stories/state-awards-highway-12jameson-canyon-money/ Hopefully this highway will finally be made safer.