FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. — Nine people were tragically killed in a head-on collision in Central California on New Year’s Day, and now the California Highway Patrol is looking for help from the public.
CHP investigators are asking for witnesses to come forward so they can determine what led up to a collision that killed seven children and two adults, KTLA reported.
Police say everyone who reported Friday’s fiery crash on rural State Route 33 came upon the scene after the collision. The CHP hopes to talk to witnesses who saw what happened in the seconds before the SUV and the truck collided between Avenal and Coalinga.
The children, who were between 6 and 15 years old, were members of two related families traveling in a Ford F-150 truck that was struck by about 8 p.m. by a Dodge Journey SUV, the Fresno County Coroner’s office and the CHP said.
Evidence from the scene indicated that the Dodge being driven by a 28-year-old man was traveling southbound on the highway when it veered onto the dirt shoulder for an unknown reason, the CHP said. The driver then overcorrected and swerved into the southbound lane, where it struck the Ford driven by a woman, officials said.
The site of a fatal head-on collision in Central California on New Year’s day. (NMW via KTLA)
As a result of the horrid collision, the Ford burst into flames on the dirt shoulder, while the Dodge came to a point of rest straddling both lanes of the highway, the CHP said.
“When the fire was extinguished, tragically it was discovered there were eight occupants — seven of which appeared to be juveniles — inside the Ford,” CHP Capt. Kevin Clays said at a Saturday afternoon news conference. “We are working with the Fresno County Coroner’s Office to identify the occupants.”
The driver of the Dodge, the SUV’s only occupant, was identified as Daniel Luna of Avenal. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor, pending toxicology results. Investigators will try to determine how fast both vehicles were going at the time of the crash, the Fresno Bee reported.
Weather or other road conditions did not appear to be a factor, officials said.
“Highway 33 is fairly straight in this location and not a lot of collisions occur at the same location where this collision occurred,” Clays said. “It’s well maintained.”
Clays added that he’s seen “large-scale fatalities” in his 20 years with the department, but “not with as many juveniles involved.”
“It’s tragic for the community, it’s tragic for our officers that respond to these incidents, and we’ve offered the officers counseling,” Clays said.
“A lot of these officers have young children, as well,” he said.
