Tehachapi News

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The On Star Navigation System proved helpful for one local motorist during the early hours of March 15, when sleet and rain caused some dangerous driving conditions.

The system came to the aid of not just the subscriber, but four other motorists, after three vehicles collided at the intersection of Tehachapi-Willow Springs and Highline Roads. With snow and sleet falling, a 2006 Toyota Prius driven by a Bear Valley resident slid through the intersection striking a 2008 Chevrolet pick-up truck, traveling southbound on Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road. The pickup truck in turn was knocked into a 2005 Honda Accord which was traveling northbound.

When the airbag was activated by the collision, it sent an alarm to an On Star dispatcher who tracked the vehicle’s location and notified local CHP officers.
Arriving emergency personnel shut down the intersection, and after providing some on-scene treatment, Hall Ambulance transported the driver of the Prius and a passenger from the pick-up to Tehachapi Hospital for further treatment.

Kern County firefighters from Tehachapi’s Station 12 swept the intersection clear of debris in an effort to help get the road open for waiting motorists.

CHP officers wish to remind everyone that caution should be used with respect to the frequently changing weather patterns in the Tehachapi area.

“It can change and become slick or icy in a matter of minutes. Extreme caution is a must,” said CHP officers on the scene.

In an unrelated traffic accident that occurred at the peak of the snow-sleet-and-rain storm Saturday, March 15, a local resident’s vehicle struck a utility pole near the intersection of Jacaranda Drive and Winchester Court, causing minor injuries to the driver, and a momentary power outage for some local residents near the Bear Valley Springs accident site.

Further east on Highway 58 near exit 165, a produce truck overturned, spilling a load of fruit. Additional accidents also occurred along Bear Mountain Boulevard, approximately two miles southwest of Highway 58. Another traffic accident occurred in the Golden Hills area. This particular storm kept Kern County Firefighters, Hall Ambulance personnel, and CHP officers busy during the period of inclement weather.