A 39-year-old woman has been named as the pickup truck passenger killed Thursday when the vehicle struck the prongs of a heavy-duty forklift near the Santa Maria Public Airport.
Tiffany Ann Peterson of Orcutt was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, Sgt. Jason Zickuhr of the Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Bureau said Friday.
Peterson’s father, Charles Peterson, was driving the small blue truck on the 3000 block of Skyway Drive when it collided with the forklift at the intersection with Hangar Street.
David Baskett, 81, confirmed he was driving the rented forklift at the time of the crash, explaining he was returning it to a local business.
Baskett, who serves aș an elected official on the Santa Maria Public Airport District and Santa Maria Joint Union High School District boards, was questioned by police after the crash but was not arrested.
“The SMJUHSD has been informed about a tragic traffic accident in Santa Maria yesterday, involving a school board member. We are very saddened by it and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved,” said Kenny Klein, public information officer for the district.
“Mr. Baskett was not acting in any official district capacity at the time of the accident,” Klein added.
Likewise, the crash was not believed to be connected to Baskett’s role as an airport board member.
After the collision and as Police Department personnel conducted their investigation , the forklift sat near the stop sign with the equipment’s “forks” lifted in the air.
Damage to the blue Dodge truck centered on the cab and windshield area.
Police declined to comment on the forklift’s position at the time of the crash.
“I can’t say that yet because it’s still under investigation,” Zickuhr said Friday.
The vehicle involved in the crash wasn’t a traditional forklift employed for moving objects in warehouses.
Instead, the Caterpillar telehandler, or telescoping forklift, has an extended boom with a forklift attachment. The model driven by Baskett reportedly had a rated load capacity of 12,000 pounds and could lift items 54.9 feet high, according to the manufacturer.
While California Highway Patrol officers are not leading the investigation, Sgt. Adam Roha, from the Commercial Vehicle Section at CHP Headquarters said laws regarding a telehandler allow their use “incidentally” on roads.
“They are still subject to the rules of road and they must be operated in a safe way,” Roha said.
Rules and requirements are complicated, and any investigation would consider a number of factors, he added.
As the investigation continues, friends and strangers have turned to helping the family by starting a GoFundMe page, which had raised more than $3,100 toward the $10,000 goal as of Friday evening.
“The pain Tiffany’s family is feeling is beyond comprehension. To enable the family to concentrate on grieving and adjusting to life without their cherished daughter, we come asking for donations to help them lay Tiffany to rest.
“Tiffany was a young, sweet, and loving person who adored her family and her cats. She just recently adopted a kitten from Animal Services after having just lost their long-time family cat.
“She was teaching her new kitten tricks daily, and now she’s gone — a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure.”
Her father, who suffered moderate injuries, reportedly was released from the hospital on Friday.