Officer avoids injury when tree falls on patrol car amid Highway 4 snow, CHP reports
A California Highway Patrol officer escaped injury when a tree fell on his car amid the snow in Calaveras County, the agency reported.
The close call happened before dawn Wednesday at a Highway 4 closure at Brice Station Road, about three miles east of Murphys, a Facebook post said.
The unidentified officer was working a foothill highway stretch with an unusually large amount of snow. A photo shows a conifer trunk perhaps 2 feet wide on the roof of the patrol car.
“He had just stepped out of the patrol vehicle to stretch when a large tree fell on top of the patrol car,” the post said. “Thankfully, there were no injuries to anyone on scene. However, the patrol car is totaled.”
The Highway 4 closure had moved east to Camp Connell by 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Highway 108 is closed seven miles east of Strawberry, past the Dodge Ridge ski area. Highway 120 is open west of Yosemite National Park, which remains entirely off-limits due to snow.
The CHP advises people to postpone trips through the snow if possible. If they must drive, they should have proper tire traction and take other precautions.
