Patterson Irrigator

A 4-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy suffered major injuries Saturday afternoon in a minivan accident on Interstate 5 north of Sperry Avenue.

A helicopter took the 4-year-old to Children’s Hospital in Oakland while the 1-year-old was driven to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.

According to reports from the California Highway Patrol, the 4-year-old had been thrown from the Ford Windstar. There was no evidence the child had been secured in a safety seat or restrained by a seat belt, the CHP reported.

Two other boys, ages 6 and 7, were also in the van with driver Ashley Wickens, 24, of Gresham, Ore. The boys suffered minor injuries and were taken to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Wickens did not complain of any injuries at the scene.

Wickens and the four children were in the van traveling south at about 70 mph at about 2:45 p.m. at the time of the crash. She made an abrupt lane change, and then overcorrected, causing the van to skid toward the center median. The right side of the van struck a steel guardrail.  

The van overturned down a steep embankment when the 4-year-old was ejected. Having children involved in the crash made it a little more personal than usual, said Jeff Gregory, Patterson Fire Department division chief.

“When you walk up and see the little ones, it’s hard not to think that your wife will be driving your daughter down the same road a few hours later,” he said.

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