Traffic collisions claim two lives over weekend

This is an updated version of a story posted Monday morning.

BARSTOW — Two people died in separate traffic collisions in the Barstow area on Sunday and Monday.

Brenda Wood, 57, from San Bernardino, died and Jerry Wood, 58, also from San Bernardino was severely injured in a wreck on Interstate 15 at 1:13 a.m. Monday morning, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Division.

On Sunday morning, Jason Milwrick, a 27-year-old Apple Valley man stationed at Fort Irwin, died in crash on Highway 247 outside of Barstow.
According to a California Highway Patrol report, the I-15 crash occurred when Jerry, the driver, lost control of a 2000 Toyota Corolla south of Field Road. The car drifted into the left median, and Jerry turned to the right, causing the car to spin and roll, the report stated.

As the Toyota overturned, Brenda, who was the only passenger and not wearing a seatbelt according to the report, was thrown from the car. Brenda died at the scene, and Jerry was airlifted to an area hospital.

CHP Officer Taj Johnson said a semi-truck crashed in the same location about 20 minutes before the fatal collision. The truck, which was heading south, crossed into the northbound lane and went off a bridge, landing nose first in Mannix Wash. The driver was taken to Barstow Community Hospital by ambulance.

One of the northbound lanes was closed due to that wreck when the second crash occurred, but Johnson said it was unclear whether the two were related. The semi truck’s tank spilled about 150 gallons of diesel into the wash, he said. Hazardous materials teams were on scene cleaning the spill and CalTrans teams were checking the extent of the damage to the bridge all day Monday. One northbound lane was still closed as of 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

The CHP is investigating the crashes.

The Highway 247 collision happened when Milwrick, heading south on Highway 247 near Stoddard Valley Road in a 2004 Nissan Altima, drifted to the right and left the road while going around a curve in the highway at 1:45 a.m., according to the CHP report. Milwrick, the only occupant in the car, lost control while trying to steer to the left, and the car overturned. He was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Division report. He was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the CHP report.

Authorities at Fort Irwin legally could not release Milwrick’s rank or his unit Monday.

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