06/08/2026
Late this morning, Willows CHP officers received a call of a motorcycle crash on Interstate 5 Northbound near County Road 7. The driver related to responding officers that a tire blew out and he lost control of the motorcycle which went down in the slow lane. The lane was temporarily closed while emergency responders tended to the passenger who sustained, what appeared to be, major, but non-life-threatening, injuries and was transported to Enloe Medical center. The driver appeared to have only minor road rash injuries.
As we move into the high temperatures associated with Glenn County summers, we tend to see a lot more tire failures. This is a good time to examine your tires to prevent possible problems down the road. In addition to checking to make sure you have sufficient tread, you should also check the sidewall of your tires for cracks, splits, or odd discoloration. Also look for signs of stiffness, brittleness or dry rot. The other thing to check is the DOT number on the sidewall of the tire. The last 4 numbers indicate when the tire was made. The first two digits are the week of the year the tire was manufactured, and the last two digits are the year the tire was made. As a tire ages, the rubber decomposes and becomes more likely to fail. Bridgestone recommends replacing tires when they reach 6 to 10 years of age regardless of the appearance of the tire.
