Crash sends one to hospital
by Joel Danoy
Sep 17, 2012 | 5939 views | 9 9 comments | 15 15 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Linne Road crash
Tracy police officer Amber Moon photographs the wreckage of the Toyota Camry after it crashed into a Ford truck on Linne Road on Monday, Sept. 17.  Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
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A Dublin man who police say caused a two-vehicle crash Monday, Sept. 17, on Linne Road could have been under the influence of alcohol, according to police.

Ruben Flotte, 28, was driving west in a Toyota Camry LE on Linne Road when he crashed into the rear of a Ford F-350 truck driven by 50-year-old Thomas Powers of Lakeport, Tracy Police Department officer Edward Gilmore said at the scene.

The impact, which occurred about 100 feet west of the Tracy Boulevard intersection, caused visible damage to the Camry and pushed the vehicle's engine toward the windshield and deployed both front airbags.

Two skid marks belonging to Flotte's vehicle, Gilmore said, were estimated at the scene to be at least 150 feet long. Gilmore said Powers had turned onto Linne Road from a private driveway when he was struck by Flotte. The speed of the two vehicles was undetermined, and is under investigation along with the rest of the crash.

Gilmore said that Flotte was transported to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp with two legs that might have been broken, but he noted that Flotte's medical condition was unconfirmed.

Flotte is also being investigated for possible DUI-related charges, because medical staff could smell "an odor of alcohol on or about his person," Gilmore said. No formal charges had been placed as of Monday at 4 p.m.

Powers didn't require medical attention and left the scene driving his truck, which only had its back bumper slightly bent downward.

Police had Flotte's vehicle towed. Blood could be seen on the driver's-side airbag and on the middle console of the vehicle.

• Contact Joel Danoy at 830-4229 or jdanoy@tracypress.com.

Comments
(9)
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amlee1978
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September 17, 2012
Drunk driving in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday? And the jackass was from Dublin....way to go moron. Stay the hell out of Tracy please. Glad no one else was hurt....
Bflotte
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September 18, 2012
No need to call my brother a moron nor a jackass. You know no facts of him being drunk sk please keep your rude comments to yourself especially since he is in critical condition. My family doesn need to see ignorant people like you leave rude comments
klv
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September 18, 2012
That intersection has been a death trap for decades... Not to mention it's dotted with corner markets that sell booze and back roads leading to freeways. Not long ago one of the store's owners was punched (trying to stop) a punk while he was spinning donuts at that very same spot plus the locals use S. Tracy Blvd. like it was Datona 500.

Ya'll just figger'in this out by your lonesome? We've lived out here for over forty years and the same ole happens again and again. Dflotte; if your relative has a problem than you should have gotten him some help much less with two possible broken legs he's liable never to walk the same again. Along with the rest of the carnage. Unfortunately this kind of thing seems to be happening, now, everywhere in Tracy. Sneaky: "Amber Moon"? No chance her parents meet in the 60's or '70's?
Ornley_Gumfudgen
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September 18, 2012
KLV

Could be anime, since it started in Japan back in th 1960's an 70's.

Don't know her or her parents aside frum talkin with her with a group of other law enforcement people. My impression was she was pretty sharp an not just somethang pleasin ta th eye.

Given her history with Tracy PD they must have noticed her performance an ability ta execute th tasks assigned ta her. Thair really are so many in th force that do an exemplary job an I do appreciate em all an what they do. Sad that more of our citizenry don't appreciate em that much.

Are thair rotten apples in th barrel? Most assuredly but remember, they are th very big exception an not th rule.

As far as th man in th article, hope he gets better an don't have any long lastin destabilization.

Drunk? Perhaps but I ain't th one ta judge an regardless, we all do dumb thangs at times an if we were all perfect th world wouldn't have th problems it does.

If he was drunk an it's been a problem in his life I hope he gets th help he needs ta get over th problem.

Rather fix people an thair problems than resort ta doin away with em, know what I mean?
Ornley_Gumfudgen
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September 18, 2012
KLV

Could be anime, since it started in Japan back in th 1960's an 70's.

Don't know her or her parents aside frum talkin with her with a group of other law enforcement people. My impression was she was pretty sharp an not just somethang pleasin ta th eye.

Given her history with Tracy PD they must have noticed her performance an ability ta execute th tasks assigned ta her. Thair really are so many in th force that do an exemplary job an I do appreciate em all an what they do. Sad that more of our citizenry don't appreciate em that much.

Are thair rotten apples in th barrel? Most assuredly but remember, they are th very big exception an not th rule.

As far as th man in th article, hope he gets better an don't have any long lastin destabilization.

Drunk? Perhaps but I ain't th one ta judge an regardless, we all do dumb thangs at times an if we were all perfect th world wouldn't have th problems it does.

If he was drunk an it's been a problem in his life I hope he gets th help he needs ta get over th problem.

Rather fix people an thair problems than resort ta doin away with em, know what I mean?
amlee1978
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September 18, 2012
Whatever Bflotte....he could have killed someone who lives HERE. Keep your drunk brother out of our city.
klv
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September 19, 2012
No... I don't know what you mean. I (moments later) happen to pass through that very intersection since my kids take the Jefferson school bus -which stops on Linne Rd. (East of Tracy Blvd.) right in front of the Country Market. I saw Mr. Flotte being being transported from the scene. Even in it's cursory description if you have "at leas 150' of skid marks pushing the engine towards the front windshield" something's askew. Often there are "big-rigs" leaving those driveways entering onto Linne RD and the outcome may have been much more severe. Yet in your warm and fuzzy fable you seem to be more enamored with the TP police officer(s) an the alleged perpetrator than the actual victim, as per many of your comments. We see this kind of thing all the time. And I would be interested on a follow-up article yet very few are ever published. More casualties, I fear, since speeding and reckless driving seems to be the norm here and around Tracy. Good luck to both parties.
Sneaky
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September 17, 2012
I love that pretty police officers name. Amber Moon sounds like a girls name from an anime cartoon.
onlooker5
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October 20, 2012
Bflotte's brother (the driver of the wrecked camry) was under the influence according to the police report .... and he was uninsured! These are the facts.


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