Problem pacemaker to blame in fatal Highway 49 crash?

Could an 84-year-old Auburn man who was killed in a crash when his truck pulled onto Highway 49 have been having a heart attack?The man's widow said she believes it's possible because he had been having problems with his heart pacemaker in the days leading up to the crash.The California Highway Patrol reported that Roy Inman's truck pulled out of China Lane, north of Dry Creek Road, onto Highway 49. He died at the scene of the accident after the truck collided with a car head-on.Joanne Inman said her husband had a pacemaker installed for a heart condition and it had been beeping at least a day before the crash."He was supposed to go to the doctor the day before about it but they didn't have time for it," Inman said. "It was beeping now and then and the Feb. 17 accident could have been the result of his heart condition."Inman said her husband of 59 years was an excellent and cautious driver who would make the turn onto Highway 49 from the road their home is located on three or four times a day. She added that it was raining extremely hard that day and poor visibility may also have been a factor."I never felt it was his age," Inman said. "I never felt afraid to drive with him. And our two daughters felt the same way."A Journal review of several medical Websites on pacemakers shows that a beeping pacemaker is a sign for a patient to immediately call for assistance because it indicates either a low battery or a malfunction.Inman said she doesn't know why her husband had taken the truck out at the time of the crash."I looked out and the pickup was gone," she said.Roy Inman, a Navy veteran who found joy working as the fix-it man at the family's Auburn retirement home, will be remembered at a celebration of his life at The Jabez House care facility, 1720 Lilac Lane, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 27.Inman's death was followed days later by a crash between a motorcycle ridden by 26-year-old Placer County Sheriff's Deputy Bradley Gravely and a car pulling out onto Bell Road driven by 83-year-old Hugh Morrill of Auburn. Morrill was able to walk away but Gravely was thrown 50 feet and taken to hospital in serious condition.A Sutter Roseville Medical Center spokeswoman said Wednesday that Gravely was listed in good condition.The two crashes involving octogenarian drivers in Auburn in such a short period of time sparked a new round of debate on the issues surrounding aged drivers and licensing.Joanne Inman recalled that her husband was very cautious when moving out onto Highway 49."He was very, very careful," she said. "The accident had nothing to do with his age."