JUNE 21, 2015
MERCED COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Three people were killed and five others taken to area
hospitals Saturday afternoon after a van crashed on Highway 152, officers from
the California Highway Patrol reported.
A total of eight people were riding in a Chevrolet Astrovan
around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. They were returning from a day of working in
agricultural fields, Sgt. Jesse Lopez told the Sun-Star.
They were heading east on the highway in the area of Island
Road when the vehicle began to drift off the roadway and the driver, Enrique
Franco, 21, of Livingston, overcorrected and the vehicle rolled over, Lopez
said.
Officers confirmed six people were ejected from the van.
Three of them, all women, died as a result of the crash. Their ages and names
were not available.
Franco; Antonia Sandoval, 62; a 17-year-old boy; a
16-year-old girl; and an unidentified woman were taken to area hospitals.
Officers said it appeared only the 17-year-old was wearing a seatbelt at the
time of the crash.
Some of the victims were taken from the scene by helicopter
and others in ambulances. The unidentified woman has serious injuries, while
the others had moderate injuries, officers said.
The driver did not appear to be speeding or driving recklessly,
officers said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation Saturday
afternoon.
Source: http://www.mercedsunstar.com