UPDATE: Passerby Extinguished Engine Fire in Truck Crash

UPDATE: 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, 2013

Yesterday's truck crash into a tree could have been a fatal fire if a passing motorist had not stepped up to the rescue, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The flatbed truck's engine compartment caught fire in the 1 p.m. crash on Silverado Trail, but it was extinguished by the passing motorist who was able to use his hand-held fire extinguisher to put it out, CHP Ofc. Anna Paulson said Friday.

Paulson said the motorist "didn't see the crash, but he saw the smoke coming from the engine compartment" and pulled out the extinguisher that he kept in his vehicle..

"I think it's amazing that the passerby took the time out to do it," Paulson added. "That fire could have gotten into the cab, and there's no way he (the driver) could have gotten out."

The driver, Jacob LaPierre, 25, of Napa, was extricated from the cab by firefighters and airlifted by helicopter to Queen of the Valley Medical Center. Paulson said she had no immediate updates on his condition, which had been listed as critical.


UPDATE: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013

The driver in the truck crash today on Silverado Trail has been identified as Jacob LaPierre, 25, of Napa, according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. William Rohner.

Rohner said he had no word on LaPierre's medical status. Some published reports quoted a CHP spokesperson as saying he was in critical condition.

PREVIOUSLY: 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013
A man was airlifted to Queen of the Valley Medical Center Thursday after his Ford flatbed truck carrying roofing materials went off the side of the road and crashed into a tree along northbound Silverado Trail at Taplin Road south of St. Helena.

St. Helena Fire Chief John Sorensen said the crash occurred at 12:56 p.m. Medical transport was by California Highway Patrol H-30 helicopter, Sorensen said.

"He was trapped in the cab of the vehicle," Sorensen added.

Firefighters from St. Helena and Cal Fire took about 40 minutes to extricate the man, whose identity was not immediately available, said St. Helena Fire Capt. Jose Martin.

"We used Jaws of Life," Martin said. "We used every tool we had."

CHP Officer Steven Wheat said he had no word on what caused the crash, but said it appeared the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed. The accident is under investigation, he said.

"The frame (of the truck) was embedded in the tree," Wheat said. "There's a whole load of roofing materials (that flew out) spread all over the hills."

Calistoga Towing Co. was still struggling to pull the truck off the tree and remove it several hours later.

"We had one cable (on the tow truck) snap already," Wheat said.

Martin said St. Helena sent two trucks -- an engine and a rescue. Cal Fire sent four engine trucks and a battalion chief unit, he said.

Traffic was stopped on northbound Silverado Trail for close to an hour until one-way controls were put in place. Many drivers did a U-turn to detour onto westbound Zinfandel Lane to pick up Highway 29.

Two-way traffic had resumed by about 2 p.m.