MADERA, Calif. (FOX26 News) —
An 11-year-old boy is dead and his 9-year-old boy is in critical condition after a truck crashed into their bedroom in the community of Madera Ranchos, according to the Madera County Fire Department. The driver of the truck also died at the scene.
Witnesses say the truck was heading southbound on Road 37 around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, when the driver appeared to have a medical emergency.
The man lost control of the truck, hit a propane tank causing the truck to go airborne and crashed into a garage that was made into a bedroom, witnesses say.
According to fire crews, the 11-year-old, identified by family members as Luis Lopez, and his brother, Matthew Lopez, were sleeping in that bedroom at the time of the incident.
Firefighters say when they arrived on scene both the driver and the 11-year-old boy had died.
They say the other child was taken to the Valley Children's Hospital with moderate to major injuries.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The boys' family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.
You can click here to help.
====================
Saturday, November 25, 2017 11:13PM
MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) --
Authorities say that at 9:20 Saturday morning a 36-year-old man was driving his truck southbound on Road 37.
He had a medical emergency causing him to drift into the other lane -- entered the shoulder and then hit a propane tank. The tank then launched the car into the garage of a home that was converted into a bedroom.
"There was two children ages 11 and nine sleeping in the room on a bunk bed. The truck landed on top of the children," said CHP Officer Rafael Rivera.
Anthony Lopez was driving by the area and witnessed the aftermath.
"I get outside and I everybody panicking and I see cars getting off the driveway and I see everybody crying and say hey, is everything ok and they said no, somebody is stuck," said Lopez
The nine-year-old boy was rescued by the fire department, but the 11-year-old boy named by his family as Tito was pinned under the truck -- he died and so did the driver.
CHP says the accident could have been much worse given the circumstances.
"It was a pretty chaotic when we all first arrived, it is a huge propane tank and it was still leaking, so you had the danger of the propane being lit and exploding," explained Officer Rivera.
With this tragedy friends and family are trying to do whatever they can to help the family in their time of grief.
Lopez said, "Really from the bottom of my heart I hope they make it through this and they all stick together as one because that's the only way you can get through something as tragic as this."