UPDATED 10:20 A.M. WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A driver who said he fell asleep caused a fire and multi-vehicle crash at a gas station in Joshua Tree this morning. According to the California Highway Patrol, Aaron Jones, 28, of Twentynine Palms, was driving a 2013 Dodge Avenger eastbound on Highway 62 at about 50 miles per hour. Jones said he fell asleep at the wheel; as he approached El Reposo Aven, his car crossed the westbound lanes and hit the curb at the corner of Highway 62 and El Reposo Avenue. A witness told Z107.7 News that the impact sent the Dodge onto two wheels; the car continued forward and hit a gas pump and sheared it off at the base. The sedan then hit a Toyota Prius and a Dodge Ram cargo van, which was backing out of a parking stall by Sean Pulliam, 52, of Yucca Valley. The collision caused the Ram to be pushed into the rear of a parked Volkswagen. The gas pump caught fire, but Battalion Chief Mike McClintock said that safety features–a shear valve on the pump, and an employee and customer who quickly hit the kill switch for the gasoline pump—worked, so that only about a gallon of gas burned. Joshua Tree firefighters soon arrived to put out the blaze. There were no injuries. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the crash. The CHP reminds motorists that driving while drowsy can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence. The CHP urges drivers to get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel.
