Latest news with #StanJones
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fatal crash damages historic California national park building linked to famous song
A truck driver died after crashing into the historic building where the Johnny Cash hit 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' was composed. A semitruck hit the former ranger station at Emigrant Junction in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday, a news release from the National Park Service said this week. The collision on California Highway 190 is believed to have occurred due to a brake malfunction, with no other vehicles involved. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the ranger station in the 1930s. Singer-songwriter Stan Jones wrote 'Ghost Riders' in the late 1940s during his time as a ranger, and Cash's 1979 version became the best known recording of the song. Hundreds of other performers have also recorded the song, including Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee and the Outlaws. The truck struck the building's porch, destroying two stone columns and damaging the roof and windows. The building is not currently in use but has been maintained due to its historical value. The truck was destroyed in the collision and spilled dry sodium and diesel onto the road. Park service staff responded to the scene, along with the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and the Inyo County Coroner. The section of Highway 190 between Stovepipe Wells and Towne Pass remained closed for 22 hours after a hazardous materials crew cleaned the area. Brake overheating can be a problem for semitrucks and other heavy vehicles that run through the stretch of Highway 190, where long, steep grades are common on both sides of Towne Pass. A contractor truck burned after descending from Towne Pass on April 9, and several commercial trucks caught fire in the area in 2024, the park service said.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Crash into historic Death Valley building kills truck driver in CA, park says
A semitruck driver died after the rig crashed into a historic building inside Death Valley National Park in California, the National Park Service said. The truck slammed into the Emigrant Ranger Station in Death Valley National Park just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, the service said in a news release. 'A brake malfunction' likely caused the crash, the service said. The truck collided with the station's 'porch, destroying two stone columns, damaging the roof, and breaking windows,' the park service said. Emigrant Ranger Station, a stone structure 'built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps,' was where 'Stan Jones wrote the song 'Ghost Riders in the Sky'' in 1947 while he was working as a park ranger, the park said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, the park service said. Park staff said they responded to manage the scene, where the road was covered in 'a dry form of sodium sulfate mined in the Searles Valley' and diesel fuel from the truck. The destroyed truck was also blocking the road, the park service said, adding that a stretch of California Highway 190 between Stovepipe Wells and Towne Pass was closed for nearly a day. Overnight, a hazmat team arrived to handle the spill cleanup, and the highway was fully reopened at about 11:30 a.m. on May 21, the park said. 'CA-190 has long, steep grades on both sides of Towne Pass, which can lead to brakes overheating in heavy vehicles,' the park service said. A truck burnt on its Towne Pass descent on April 9, while an additional six vehicles caught fire below the pass last year, the park service said. Death Valley National Park straddles the California–Nevada border.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driver killed, truck hits historic building in Death Valley National Park
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A truck driver died Tuesday when a tractor-trailer rig ran off the road and into a building in Death Valley National Park, officials said on Wednesday. The single-vehicle crash scattered debris and left diesel fuel on CA-190 between Stovepipe Wells and Towne Pass, closing the main road through the park for about 22 hours. The road reopened at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The crash was likely caused by a brake malfunction, officials said. CA-190 has long, steep grades on both sides of Towne Pass, and truck fires have been a problem recently. An electrical contractor truck burned after descending Towne Pass on April 9. Six commercial trucks and one fifth-wheel RV caught on fire below Towne Pass in 2024. LAST YEAR: Truck fire marks 8th of 2024 on steep Death Valley road The truck collided with the historic stone Emigrant Ranger Station, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It hit the building's porch, destroying two stone columns, damaging the roof and breaking windows, park officials said. Stan Jones wrote the song 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' while living in the building and working as a park ranger in 1947, officials said. The building hasn't been used for several decades. A hazmat team worked overnight to clean up the spill. The truck was carrying a load from a mine in the Searles Valley Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
