Joe was one of the nicest boys in our class. Always a gentleman and lots of fun too! I remember hearing about his death and just feeling like the world had lost a good man with a good heart.
Jungle, We all miss you. I sat by your mom (big V) at church on Sunday. I gave her a big hug from you. She loves you very much. She is making sure your name is known for good. Keep smiling!
It was a huge sand storm that stopped traffic and caused the multi-car pile up. Joe had one or two of his kids with him. His kids survived the crash. They were cared for by a nice couple (at a shelter) until Joe's wife came for them. She was on the same trip with them but she flew home while Joe and child drove. It was sad.
I thought I'd try doing a search '1991 dust storm in California' and this article popped up
November 29, 1991
Dust storm causes massive pileup in California A massive car and truck collision in Coalinga, California, kills 17 people on this day in 1991. More than 100 vehicles were involved in the accident on Interstate 5, which was caused by a dust storm.
Interstate 5 runs north and south between Southern California and Northern California. On Saturday, November 29, there was considerable traffic on the highway as people were returning home after Thanksgiving. The area of the highway near Coalinga in the San Joaquin Valley is usually prime farmland. However, in 1991 many farmers had decided not to plant their fields because of severe drought conditions, leaving long stretches of dusty soil near the highway.
As the winds strengthened to nearly 40 miles per hour on November 29, dust swept over the highway, severely hampering visibility. Suddenly, a chain reaction of collisions developed over a mile-long stretch of the highway. One hundred and four vehicles, including 11 large trucks, were involved in the massive collision. It took hours for the rescuers to find all the victims in the continuing dust storm. Seventeen people lost their lives and 150 more suffered serious injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of people were trapped in their cars for the nearly an entire day until the highway could be cleared enough for traffic to pass.
The same stretch of highway was the scene of a similar, but smaller, incident in December 1978 when seven people died and 47 were injured in a large chain collision. Another storm in December 1977 caused residents to develop a flu-like respiratory infection, known as Valley Fever, from breathing in large quantities of dust.
Shortly before Joe's death I met him in Santa Monica, Ca for lunch. I was practicing in Santa Monica and Joe had just finished Dental School in San Francisco. He was doing his residency at UCLA at the time of his death. I was so blessed to have seen him shortly before he died. He was my fraternity brother at USU. He is greatly missed. Bless you V.
Jill Jarvis (Olsen)
Joe was one of the nicest boys in our class. Always a gentleman and lots of fun too! I remember hearing about his death and just feeling like the world had lost a good man with a good heart.Kent Clark
Jungle, We all miss you. I sat by your mom (big V) at church on Sunday. I gave her a big hug from you. She loves you very much. She is making sure your name is known for good. Keep smiling!Laurene Glazier (Hutchings)
Please tell us all what happened?Kent Clark
It was a huge sand storm that stopped traffic and caused the multi-car pile up. Joe had one or two of his kids with him. His kids survived the crash. They were cared for by a nice couple (at a shelter) until Joe's wife came for them. She was on the same trip with them but she flew home while Joe and child drove. It was sad.Jill Jarvis (Olsen)
I thought I'd try doing a search '1991 dust storm in California' and this article popped upNovember 29, 1991
Dust storm causes massive pileup in California
A massive car and truck collision in Coalinga, California, kills 17 people on this day in 1991. More than 100 vehicles were involved in the accident on Interstate 5, which was caused by a dust storm.
Interstate 5 runs north and south between Southern California and Northern California. On Saturday, November 29, there was considerable traffic on the highway as people were returning home after Thanksgiving. The area of the highway near Coalinga in the San Joaquin Valley is usually prime farmland. However, in 1991 many farmers had decided not to plant their fields because of severe drought conditions, leaving long stretches of dusty soil near the highway.
As the winds strengthened to nearly 40 miles per hour on November 29, dust swept over the highway, severely hampering visibility. Suddenly, a chain reaction of collisions developed over a mile-long stretch of the highway. One hundred and four vehicles, including 11 large trucks, were involved in the massive collision. It took hours for the rescuers to find all the victims in the continuing dust storm. Seventeen people lost their lives and 150 more suffered serious injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of people were trapped in their cars for the nearly an entire day until the highway could be cleared enough for traffic to pass.
The same stretch of highway was the scene of a similar, but smaller, incident in December 1978 when seven people died and 47 were injured in a large chain collision. Another storm in December 1977 caused residents to develop a flu-like respiratory infection, known as Valley Fever, from breathing in large quantities of dust.
Corry Timpson
Shortly before Joe's death I met him in Santa Monica, Ca for lunch. I was practicing in Santa Monica and Joe had just finished Dental School in San Francisco. He was doing his residency at UCLA at the time of his death. I was so blessed to have seen him shortly before he died. He was my fraternity brother at USU. He is greatly missed. Bless you V.