A senior citizen who was on patrol as part of the Ceres Police Department's Volunteers in Public Safety (VIPS) program escaped serious injury and possibly death Monday morning when his car was struck by an out-of-control big-rig at the east end of the Service Road overpass.
Glen Safrit, 81, of Ceres, was westbound on Service Road nearing the top of the overpass at 11:30 a.m. when he saw an eastbound tractor-trailer rig owned by Central Valley Trucking jack-knifing into his lane. The front of the VIPS car collided with the cab, which was twisted to the left.
Safrit was taken to a Modesto hospital with neck and back pain but checked out fine. He was back to the station by 3 p.m. The female driver of the big-rig was not hurt.
Sgt. Mike Borges said Safrit is fortunate since the car could have been sent over a 50-feet dirt embankment east of Highway 99.
There is no word what caused the driver to lose control. The truck was pulling two trailers loaded with gravel.
Glen Safrit, 81, of Ceres, was westbound on Service Road nearing the top of the overpass at 11:30 a.m. when he saw an eastbound tractor-trailer rig owned by Central Valley Trucking jack-knifing into his lane. The front of the VIPS car collided with the cab, which was twisted to the left.
Safrit was taken to a Modesto hospital with neck and back pain but checked out fine. He was back to the station by 3 p.m. The female driver of the big-rig was not hurt.
Sgt. Mike Borges said Safrit is fortunate since the car could have been sent over a 50-feet dirt embankment east of Highway 99.
There is no word what caused the driver to lose control. The truck was pulling two trailers loaded with gravel.
