Couple pinned for 2 hours after colliding with big rig

A Sacramento woman remained hospitalized in serious condition Friday after a crash on Highway 20 in Mendocino County left her and her husband pinned in their pickup under a Freightliner tractor-trailer rig.

It took firefighters more than two hours to pry apart the crushed wreckage pinning Mary G. Duke, 53, and Michael L. Duke, 54, in their mid-sized Chevy pickup Thursday, Potter Valley Fire Chief Bill Pauli said.

Both the man and woman had strong vital signs and were alert and talking throughout, with emergency medics checking them continuously, he said.

“We just needed to take our time,” Pauli said. “It was just like, OK, systematically trying to work our way along.”

The CHP said Michael Duke was at the wheel of the pickup as the couple drove westbound on Highway 20 shortly after noon Thursday.

The big rig was turned southbound waiting on Potter Valley Road to turn left across the highway onto eastbound 20, the CHP said. Vallejo trucker Timothy Sheard, 49, thought he had enough time to turn when he pulled in front of the Sacramento couple, he told the CHP.

Duke hit his brakes, but his pickup smashed into Sheard's trailer, the impact peeling the hood and roof back and crushing what was left onto the Dukes, who were squeezed down into their bucket seats with their legs and feet crammed under the dashboard, Pauli said.

Since the Freightliner had just been starting up from a stopped position, it wasn't moving fast at the time of impact so “they were very fortunate,” Pauli said.

The couple was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of their injuries, which were largely limited to lacerations for Michael Duke, the CHP said.

He was not listed as a patient at Memorial Hospital on Friday.

Mary Duke suffered a possible fractured pelvis and right ankle, the CHP said. She remained in serious condition at Memorial Hospital Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said.