Truck startles family in backyard crash
For The Madera Tribune A large dual cab work truck sits in the backyard of a home on Meadowrest Way after rolling over and through a block wall adjacent to West Cleveland Avenue early Friday morning. The male driver, 22, was injured in the crash, and taken to a local hospital according to police.
Residents in the 2500 block of Meadowrest Way were startled by a loud screech and a bang. They called police after finding a large pickup truck had violently rolled over on west Cleveland Avenue and crashed through their backyard concrete block fence wall.
The wrecked, dual cab truck came to rest upright on its wheels, a few feet from their house with the injured driver still trapped inside early Friday morning.
The crash launched large chunks of concrete block across the residential area, damaging property. No residents were injured.
Sgt. Mark Trukki of the Madera Police Department said it was not known what caused the driver, a 22-year-old man from Fresno, to lose control. Trukki said the man was injured in the crash and hospitalized, and all possible factors in the collision — speed, fatigue, distracted driving or impairment were still under investigation.
The early morning incident was not witnessed by any known motorists, he said, and the incident is not believed to have involved any other vehicles.
“Residents reported the incident about 5 a.m.,” Trukki said, “after hearing the sound of squealing tires and the truck rolling over on West Cleveland. Speed is listed as a cause. It appears the truck was traveling westbound on Cleveland in the number one (left) lane when it struck the concrete middle divide and caused it to (rotate) and go northbound ... roll over and collide with the (block) wall behind a residence. It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved at this time.” Trukki said.
The driver could have also been driving to work at the time, police said.
The incident is at least the third crash in as many weeks where drivers have lost control at high speeds and vehicles have landed completely inside houses or in residents’ backyards in Madera. Traffic on west Cleveland Avenue was rerouted as emergency crews worked to reach the driver, and clear and investigate the incident.
