A man and his dog escaped serious injury after the truck they were in rolled onto its side following a crash in Yucca Valley Thursday afternoon. Richard Koch, 65, of Johnson Valley, was driving the Tacoma truck eastbound on the highway just east of Sage Avenue about 3:10 p.m. when witnesses said it appeared he suddenly noticed orange cones in the roadway warning of roadwork ahead. The witnesses said the truck veered to the right, hit the curb, then jerked to the left, hitting the back end of a hot tar mixer being used to repair the road. The Tacoma rolled over onto its left side, spilling its load of firewood onto the highway. Koch and his golden retriever, Star, were trapped inside the truck and had to be rescued by fire fighters who used the Jaws of Life to remove the front windshield. Richard Koch was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center as a precaution and the Sheriff’s department held on to the dog until a friend arrived to get it.
