Man, dog rescued nearly 24 hours after truck after crashed off California highway
KOVR
By Ashley Sharp, Brandon Downs
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Northern California (KOVR) — A man and his dog were rescued nearly a full day after his truck crashed 30 feet down a hillside in Northern California, authorities said.
Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, first responders responded to Highway 89 about three miles north of Calpine in Sierra County after receiving a report that a driver spotted a vehicle crashed off the road.
What authorities found was a 36-year-old man trapped inside the truck with his dog. In photos shared of the truck, it appeared to have crashed into trees before coming to a rest on its passenger side.
“Someone’s watching over him for that tree not the be in the middle of that truck. It was on each side of him. He got very lucky,” said Richard Standberry, a close friend of the driver who identified him as a Calpine man named Daniel.
The driver was alert when crews got to him and told the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that he crashed Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said he was trapped in the vehicle for nearly 22 hours before he was discovered.
“It was cold, too. If it had been last night, it was snowing maybe 6, 8 inches last night. He’s lucky someone found him and called it in or else he wouldn’t have been alive after that,” Stansberry said.
The driver was unable to call for help as his phone was lost in the wreckage. CHP Quincy says his rescue is all thanks to a good Samaritan.
“This was a witness that drove by the collision scene the next morning actually a little after 10 o’clock and was able to see the vehicle over the side. That’s not a super well-traveled road. Where he was, it’s one of those spots you can’t see very well,” said CHP Officer Seth Preston.
After nearly an hour of work, firefighters were able to remove the man from the vehicle using heavy machinery and the jaws of life. He was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said.
He has undergone at least two surgeries as of Thursday night but is expected to be OK.
The driver’s dog Junior was uninjured and remained by his side until their rescue.
“Yeah, that dog stayed right there with him when the officers got on scene the dog was running around the outside the truck,” said Preston, explaining the dog appeared to be alerting police to where his owner was trapped.
Junior is safe and sound in the care of Stansberry.
“His dog is his best friend. He’s the best dog ever,” Stansberry said.
The CHP said the driver stated he wasn’t paying attention and crashed off the road, but the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Calpine is about 130 miles northeast of Sacramento.
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