The results of a toxicology report released Wednesday show that Charles Allison Jr. — the truck driver killed in last month's dramatic accident on the Nojoqui Creek Bridge near Buellton — was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crash.
The extremely high level of meth in Allison's system, explained Sergeant Sandra Brown with the Coroner's Office, means he was actively using the drug, either while driving or at a stop made within 30 minutes of the accident. “He was at the level where people exhibit aggressive behavior or have hallucinations,” Brown said. Allison also had amphetamine in his system, the report reads, the result of his body breaking down the methamphetamine.
The California Highway Patrol has ruled Allison's drug use the direct cause of the collision.
Allison, 48 years old and a resident of Grover Beach, was killed when his tractor-trailer hit a BMW in the northbound lanes of Highway 101, careened off the bridge into a creek bed, and caught fire. The driver of the BMW — 36-year-old Kelli Groves of San Juan Capistrano — and her two young children remained trapped in the car for over an hour as it teetered precariously on the edge of the bridge 100 feet in the air.
Fire crews were eventually able to extricate the family with the help of a nearby Navy vehicle and its forklift. All three were transported to Cottage Hospital and treated for moderate, non-life threatening injuries. Both sides of the highway were shut down for hours and traffic was rerouted to Highway 154.
Related Links
- Fatal Accident Shuts Down 101 South of Buellton [ January 12, 2012 ]
Previous Month
Comments
If he was high on meth, then it wasn't an 'accident'.
Rich (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pray for Kelli and her children. The "driver" has met his dark fate. But the living struggle on.
maximum (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
joer43 (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just desserts and another imbecile druggie lunatic off the road permanently. Glad he didn't kill that family. So where's the drug-testing for these truckers? Should be compulsory every 30-days for offenders.
Draxor (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't be naive and think this guy or others don't do this all the time.
spacey (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There are prescription drugs that imitate the effects of meth, less the horrible ~36 hour come-down that causes users to require more in order to come back "up".
I think most people using meth for staying awake while working would likely prefer the prescription alternatives which may not be available to them. So instead they go with the illegal version that is far more harmful with longer lasting effects, but is easier for them to obtain.
I find it hilarious that illegal drugs are often easier to obtain than prescription drugs. Just like how young kids can often get illegal drugs easier than alcohol.
The war on drugs is a tragedy and should be abolished.
I would like to know the purity of the meth this guy had. If there were a lot of impurities, then maybe those chemicals caused the impairment as meth generally causes the opposite of impairment (unless you've been awake for longer than 24 hours).
If meth and these other substances were completely legal for adults then it would be cleaner and people could regulate their dosages better, or they could use alternative substances that are safer and more effective.
loonpt (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOONPT - you've certainly earned your name. Meth (pure or not!) most certainly DOES cause hallucinations... (I suppose you never inhaled either?)
maximum (anonymous profile)
February 3, 2012 at 6:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@Draxor: I heard yesterday on the news (I believe it was KCOY) that he had been tested twice recently and was clean.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
February 4, 2012 at 2:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While on grounds of common sense alone I oppose the druf war, "pure" meth is an insidious substance that not only wrecks individual lives but whole communities, the lives of everyone around the user is impacted.
Coffee is a safe, effective alternative; sleep can't be beat.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
February 4, 2012 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sleep is the answer.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
February 4, 2012 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)