WATSONVILLE — A male pedestrian was seriously injured Friday morning in a freak crash where a trailer, loaded with gravel, broke free from a pickup and smashed into him on Harkins Slough Road where he was walking his dog.
Watsonville Police Sgt. Mike Ridgway said it appears a trailer loaded with gravel and other materials somehow broke loose from a GMC Yukon and careened over a curb, onto a sidewalk and plowed into the male pedestrian.
The victim was unconscious and unresponsive when emergency officials arrived within minutes.
Watsonville Police were quick to shut down the southbound lanes of Harkins Slough Road as an ambulance and fire officials dealt with the victim.
Guadalupe Ortega, a trained emergency medical technician, was the first person to stop as she happened upon the scene.
“I first supported his spine with a C-spine (manual cervical spine support) and stabilized him,” Ortega said. “This is what we train to do. He appeared to be unconscious. I’m glad I was able to help.”
Police still had the slow lane of Harkins Slough Road closed at 1:45 p.m.
Harkins Slough Road was closed at Struve Slough after a trailer detached from a moving vehicle and hit a pedestrian Friday morning. (Photo by Johanna Miller/Pajaronian)
