Investigations found that Christian Gandara, 22, of Sacramento, was driving a 2022 Ford F-250 pulling a trailer south on Highway 49 when he stopped to make a left turn at the Lakeside Inn Gas station.
Tuttletown, CA – A multi-vehicle collision left one car rolled over and injured two people in the Tuttletown area of Tuolumne County last week on Wednesday.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident transpired at about 7:35 a.m. March 25, on Highway 49 south of Sapphire Ridge Road.
Investigations found that Christian Gandara, 22, of Sacramento, was driving a 2022 Ford F-250 pulling a trailer south on Highway 49 when he stopped to make a left turn at the Lakeside Inn Gas station.
Gandara reportedly failed to yield while making the turn and the Ford was hit on the left side by a northbound 2004 Toyota Highlander. The impact of the crash caused the Toyota to roll over while debris from the collision struck a 2015 Volvo sedan driven northbound behind the Toyota by Brinda Dalal, 59, of Oakland.
The driver of the Toyota, Joseph Scharli, 17, of Murphys, and his 15-year-old passenger, sustained minor injuries in the collision. Scharli was transported by ambulance to Adventist Health Sonora while the passenger was taken to UC Merced.
There were no other injuries in the collision and drugs or alcohol were not suspected to have played any role.
The incident remained under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
According to recent years’ car crash data, Tuolumne County’s traffic safety profile is defined by a high rate of severe collisions relative to its rural population. According to 2023 and 2024 California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) data, the county ranked 4th worst out of 58 counties for total fatal and injury victims per capita. The county’s primary safety crisis involves impaired driving. It has recently ranked 2nd worst in the state for alcohol-involved collisions and 1st for crashes involving “had been drinking” drivers under age 34. Additionally, Tuolumne ranks 1st in California for motorcycle fatalities per 100,000 residents, driven by high-speed incidents on winding mountain routes like Highway 108 and Highway 49. While pedestrian and bicycle incidents remain low, the frequency of nighttime crashes and “hit-object” collisions reflects the dangers of the county’s rural geography.
If you or your loved one was injured in this car collision, you may visit our personal injury lawyer page to learn about the legal options available for you.