Moccasin, CA (April 25, 2024) – The Tuolumne County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has identified 68-year-old Gordon Ralph Glasson as the man killed in a tragic incident involving his vehicle last Thursday morning. Preliminary evidence suggests that the accident may have been caused by a mechanical or design issue with the vehicle itself.
Incident Overview: The incident occurred near the intersection of Old Priest Grade and below Highway 120 at Moccasin around 8:43 a.m. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Glasson had stopped his 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning, an all-electric pickup, to close the charge portal on the vehicle’s front left quarter-panel. While the vehicle was still in drive, it began to roll forward as Glasson had partially exited. He was subsequently dragged underneath the vehicle and came to rest on an embankment between Highway 120 and Moccasin Switchback Road. The truck continued its downhill path, rolling across Moccasin Switchback and through multiple fences before coming to a stop in a yard.
Investigation and Legal Implications: Ford Motor Co. has expressed its commitment to investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident, with Emma Bergg, director of electric vehicles, battery technology, and energy communications, stating that “customer safety is a priority.” The investigation will likely focus on the vehicle’s design and any potential mechanical issues that could have contributed to the accident, such as the adequacy of its parking mechanisms and whether there were any faults in the vehicle’s automatic systems that should have prevented movement when unattended. If such an issue is discovered, the family of Gordon Glasson could consider pursuing a wrongful death claim against the manufacturer. In this situation, the claim would likely focus on the shared liability of the manufacturer and the driver for exiting the vehicle while it was in drive. However, there is still a lot of information needed from the investigation.
My thoughts are with the family of Gordon Ralph Glasson during this difficult time. I hope that they receive the support they need following this tragic accident.
Source: The Union Democrat