Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

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Eberwein Kenneth D 020411 p1
Patterson Man Killed in Major Crash; Cement Truck Involved;  A four-vehicle crash early Tuesday morning east of
Patterson claimed the life of a Patterson man and closed East Las Palmas to through traffic across the San Joaquin River
for nearly 10 hours.  Kenneth Eberwein, 44, suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.  He was
employed by the county Department of Environmental Resources and was eastbound in a county van on his way to work at
the time of the accident about 7:10 a.m.  A memorial service for the local man, a Patterson High graduate in the class of
1976, will he held Sunday afternoon at Frank Raines Park..  See full obituary elsewhere in this issue.  The 1995 Ford van
was one of three eastbound vehicles on the curve just east of the river bridge.  The collision occurred less than a quarter
mile from the intersection of West Main Street and Jennings Road.  California Highway Patrol spokesman Tom Killian
gave this account of the accident.  He said Robert Ray Ludwig, 18, had just completed a shift at Patterson Frozen Foods
and was on his way home to Ceres. Ludwig was driving a 1987 Nissan Maxima.
Crossed lines
On the east side of the bridge Ludwig s auto crossed over the double yellow lines and collided with a heavy westbound
cement truck driven by Keith Lewis Ryan.  The impact of the vehicles caused the 2000 Peterbilt to veer into the eastbound
lane where it crashed into the van driven by Eberwein.  Loaded with nine yards of wet cement, the truck overturned and
the cab separated from the chassis and a portion of it came to rest some distance away in a field on the north side of the
roadway.  The grinding crash also separated the front wheels from the chassis of the truck, and they ended up in a field
south of the road.  The truck also struck an eastbound 1993 Mazda MX6 driven by 30 year old Kari Vigallon of Patterson.
She suffered a compound ankle fracture and was transported by Air-Med helicopter to Doctors Medical Center in
Modesto.
Belted into cab
The 42yearold Ryan, a Modesto resident, was taken by Medi-Flight helicopter to Memorial Medical Center with major
injuries including lacerations to the face and legs. Seat belts held him in the disengaged cab. and he was able to step out of
it with the assistance of the first rescue workers at the scene.  The collision caused the county van, which was first thought
to contain hazardous materials picked up by Eberwein from an illegal methamphetamine lab the previous day, burst into
flames.  Later it was determined that Eberwein had cleaned out the vehicle before heading for home on  Monday.  The
possibility of hazardous material being in the debris that was widely scattered at the scene caused the 10 hour delay in
opening the roadway. It did not open to through traffic until 5 p.m. Tuesday, with vehicles routed to the north and south to
make bridge crossings of the river.  "We had to record all of the physical evidence. and. that just takes time," Killian said;
Ludwig sustained moderate injuries to the left elbow and was treated at Memorial Medical Center.
False reports
It was being reported Wednesday morning on three area radio stations that Ryan had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel
of the cement rig.  Killian said the report was "completely wrong" and that he was trying to get through to them to make
the correction."  Reagan Wilson, the county s chief executive officer, was at the accident scene until midmorning when he
went to visit the Eberwein family.  Over a half-dozen CHP units, as well as deputies from Patterson Police Services and
the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, responded to the crash scene. Fire units, from, Mountain View, Patterson,
Westley and Modesto also sped to the scene.

Eberwein Kenneth D 020411 p10
Kenneth Eberwein, 44 A memorial service will be held Sunday afternoon for Kenneth David Eberwein.  The 44 year old
Patterson was killed Tuesday morning in a vehicle crash about four miles east of Patterson.  Born in Fortuna, he had lived
most of his life in the Patterson area. He was employed by Stanislaus County s Department of Environmental Resources as
a hazardous materials specialist.  He graduated from Patterson High School in the class of 1976 and two years later from
Modesto Junior College. He then earned a bachelor s degree from Humboldt State in 1982.  He served as a park ranger at
Frank Raines Park in Del Puerto Canyon west of Patterson for 10 years before transferring with the county as a hazardous
materials specialist. He held the latter position the past six years.  He was extremely active with his son in the activities of
Boy Scout 533 of Patterson, and logged a number of nights of camping with the troop.  The 2 p.m. Sunday service will be
held at Frank Raines Park where he spent 10 years.  Survivors include his wife of 18 years, Janice Eberwein of Patterson;
a son and daughter, Kevin and Jessica Eberwein of Patterson; his parents, Elroy and Betty Eberwein of Patterson; a
brother, Russell Eberwein of Napa; and a sister, Karen Eberwein of Half Moon Bay.  Remembrances should be sent to
Boy Scout Troop 533, 608 Walnut Ave., Patterson; or to the Kenneth Eberwein Memorial Trust Fund, Valley First Credit
Union, P0 Box 1411, Modesto, Calif. 95353.