Thursday afternoon saw two locals and a dog survive a powerful collision along Highway 88. The accident happened at 4:40 p.m. on Highway 88 east of Toyon Road. Loretta Chua of West Point was driving her 2000 Ford Ranger down the road. Some passing motorists called the Sheriff's Office to report that she was handing her truck erratically, weaving around with a dog in the back. The callers feared for the dog's safety.

Chua lost control of her Ford and T-boned a Jackson man who was traveling the other way. The victim of the broadside, who was behind the wheel of a 1990 Ford Ranger, was soon flown to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for significant injuries. Chua was also flown out of the scene by helicopter. She was taken to Mercy San Juan Hospital's trauma center with medical complications. Amador County Animal Control eventually responded to the scene to pick up the dog. Incredibly, it was not seriously hurt in the fray.