Truck Driver killed in big-rig wreck

A man died Friday when the big rig he was driving overturned on Jamestown Road north of Golf Links Road.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, was driving a 1999 Freightliner tractor pulling a 1973 trailer south on Jamestown Road at about 10:05 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jim Jacobs.

The man lost control of the truck, which left the road and rolled into a power pole.

"We don't know why," he said. "It's still under investigation."

The victim was wearing a seat belt and alcohol is not suspected to have contributed to the wreck, he said.

The road was closed for about five hours during the investigation and while crews towed the truck away, CHP Officer Tom Wills said. A commercial inspection was required to see if faulty equipment contributed to the accident.

The truck rested against the power pole, part of which was split in two from the force.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company crews arrived on scene at about noon and worked on fixing the pole throughout the afternoon and evening, said Nicole Tam, a PG&E spokeswoman based in Stockton.

The company rerouted electricity to its customers, but there were periodic outages for 3,252 customers in the western parts of Sonora on Friday afternoon.

It was the first death on Tuolumne County roads so far this year, Wills said.

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