Commute traffic was snarled on Highway 49, Tuesday evening, south of Grass Valley, after a 3-vehicle chain-reaction collision. CHP Officer Greg Tassone says at around 5:10pm 69-year-old James Thompson of Grass Valley was southbound, about a quarter-mile south of McKnight Way, where the highway narrows to 1 lane…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

And that caused the driver of the vehicle that was hit, 23-year-old Dominick Terronez, also from Grass Valley, to rear-end a vehicle in front of him. Terronez had major injuries. The drivers of the other two vehicles had only minor injuries. The third driver is identified as 35-year-old Gerret George of Nevada City. Tassone says that direction of the highway had to be closed for about an hour, which was fairly soon, considering that there were three damaged vehicles…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

Tassone says there were also a few fender benders on Highway 49, as well as on a detour route, La Barr Meadows Road.