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[Background image by Oliver Cory]About 3:10 p.m., a vehicle went off Hwy 299 about mile marker 33 and into the Trinity River east of Big Bar.
[Background image by Oliver Cory]
According to Officer Shawn Bertram of the California Highway Patrol, rafters got one occupant out alive but injured. However, one occupant is deceased.
The CHP helicopter will be taking the injured patient to the hospital
Officers have closed Hwy 299 to try and retrieve the vehicle. At this point, Officer Bertram said because of poor cell service the make and model of the vehicle is unknown. “Eastbound and Westbound is closed approximately 3 miles west of Helena (Trinity CO) due to an accident,” Caltrans QuickMap staes. “No detour is available. Motorists should expect delay.”
Down River Fire, the US Forest Service, an ambulance, CHP officers and a CHP helicopter have responded to the scene.
UPDATE 6:56 p.m.: Caltrans reports, “State Route 299 is reduced to one lane traffic control approximately 3 miles west of Helena (Trinity CO) due to an accident. No detour is available. Motorists should expect delay.”
UPDATE: Eureka Man Killed and Eureka Woman Injured When Vehicle Goes off Hwy 299 and Submerges in Trinity River
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That spot on 299 is real bad no cell service we’ve encountered accidents there over the years you have to really Think back 30 years ago The only chance you had was hoping for a forest service truck come by To use this radio You’re in between Willow Creek and Weaverville bad place to be
Trinity county had a grant for millions to build 10 new cell towers to close the cell gap between Salyer and Weaverville. They only built one. Wonder what happened to the rest?
Guard rails have been lacking on 299. I complained once and was told by Cal Trans that guard rails won’t help much because most of the accidents on 299 are caused by driving while intoxicated. I asked an attorney about this seemingly odd response. He said government agencies won’t publicly admit negligence and prefer to shift blame to victims.
Both 299 and 199 need more guard rails. I am surprised that neither highway is not getting more guard rails since it is a relatively cheap and quick improvement to highway safety.
Guard rails ruin the view of the river. If people paid attention that would help tremendously. At the speed most people are going guard rails would do no good anyway
Have you ever bounced off a guard rail? I have…I would be dead without the guard rail.
No I haven’t but I will admit that I do feel better having one on roads like 96 of forks of the salmon river road.
I almost went into the Smith River last month. The guard rails saved me. I was reaching for my keys which had slipped to the floor. I heard the sound of metal on metal . Now I keep a box on the seat next to me for things that might slip. So sorry to hear of this terrible accident. My condolences to the families and friends.
Absolutely. Sometimes your best option is to head for the guardrail. For example, avoiding a head-on collision, hydroplaning in heavy rain or hail, or avoiding boulders.
Yeah, that and the taxes Californians pay for gas for “Highway Maintenance”? Measure A,B,C,D-Z for local road improvements? We need more taxes to help homeless people? More taxes for this? More taxes for that?
Yet nothing gets done, the problems keep compounding? American citizens are just cattle. Sheep, cows, whatever… to be milked, fleeced or what have you to make politicians and their donors rich. How does a us representative in two terms become a millionaire on a $169,000 per year? Because they are all grifters, crooks and shysters. They collectively pass laws that benefit them and their donors and that money is laundered through “aid” to less fortunate countries.
That’s when we Go After The Politicans for Takeing Bribes and send them to Prison for 20+ years and make them take all there money and put it back into the General Fund. Also quit Voting for all Politician period.
anyone running for office becomes a politician by default. I would rather see a requirement that says the person running has put in X amount of time serving the country in one form or another. No experience serving the people then no ability to run.
Well said, yet CA voters continue to approve such bills
done a few rescues out that way. taking half the road out of the middle, excessive speed and unsafe passing most of time.
There has to be a specific number of fatalities in an area before cal trans will grant guardrails. Seems crazy but that’s what the deal is. Yes, a number of fatalities on 299 in that stretch are from individuals driving while intoxicated but also there are some from not paying attention, unfamiliar drivers, wreck-less sober drivers etc. 299 is a beautiful drive. If your new to it you don’t know that unfortunately it’s not the drive to nature watch. Keep your eyes on the road. 299 is full of surprises and is a dangerous highway.
“There has to be a specific number of fatalities in an area before cal trans will grant guard rails. Seems crazy but that’s what the deal is.” Deal? What specific deal?
I don’t know the number of fatalities it takes but I know that it’s a certain number in a time frame for them to justify putting guard rails in. Goes for the same with sidewalks, pedestrian crossing etc. it’s sad but true.
Oh sorry, the “deal” is tax payers dollars. Maybe email Gavin and he can explain it better.
I think that issue is perhaps too small for the Governor of 40 million people to deal with. Perhaps take it up with the county and Caltrans first?
Just maybe Newsom could use some of the worthless high speed rail money to place some guard rails along 299 and other highways that could use them. He has the brains of a flea!
It should not matter what the cause of a fatal accident is. Drunks deserve saving too.
Everyone deserves saving that’s for sure. But we all need to learn how to save ourselves big guy… god bless the soul who passed today and the ones before and the ones to come. Be safe and be alert. If you wish to be a danger please prey no danger upon any others.
I travel that road about every 8 weeks, sometimes with my grandchildren. The most treacherous thing I’ve experienced, are a#$holes tailgating, bc they can’t wait 3 minutes till the next turnout. But some ppl don’t give a shit if they run another family into devastation.
Isn’t that the truth. I like to slow down to get their blood pressure just a little higher. Don’t let them ruin your day with their exaggerated sense of self worth. Safe drivers are not obligated to go faster because someone else thinks they need to be somewhere five minutes faster.
When you purposely slow down to get another driver’s “blood pressure just a little higher” they will do something stupid and lives could be at risk. Drive the speed limit and pull over when you can.
My condolences to the family and friends of the man driving the car. It is so sad that the lady could not get him out of the submerged vehicle. I don’t know why he lost control of the vehicle, but I wish there had been a guard rail in the spot the he went over.
His name was Martin Trucks
Where did u hear tht it was Myron trucks not Martin
My car went off the road on 299 just a month ago. I was sober, not on my phone, not speeding. I’m not even entirely sure what happened, as I felt I was in control and paying attention to the road. It was wet and my car was loaded down (in the back, but it’s front wheel drive so that probably contributed) and I must have misjudged a curve or something…I went off in a place with no guardrail. My car flipped end-over-end and I was lucky enough to walk away (although not without injury). Not lucky enough to not have all my belongings stolen from my car while I was waiting for it to be recovered, though. Still, not everyone who goes off the road is drunk, or going too fast, or irresponsible in some other way. And even if they are, why not still save their life? They also have guardrails now that have “give” in them and can absorb some impact.
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