Distracted driver causes head-on fatal crash on Shaw Avenue near Biola

A head-on fatal crash on Friday was caused by a distracted driver northwest of Fresno, the California Highway Patrol reports.

The collision occurred about 2 p.m. near Shaw and Jameson avenues, east of Biola.

Synthia Higuera, 19, of Kerman, told officers she had received a text from her cousin that diverted her attention and caused her to drive her Jeep into oncoming traffic, where she struck a large pickup driven by a 30-year-old Biola man, said CHP Officer Vic Taylor. He was not immediately identified.

Higuera told investigators that she was driving about 70 mph and was late for work when she got the text. As she read the text, she told officers that she was quickly approaching the rear of a slower-moving vehicle and swerved to avoid a rear-end crash, the CHP report said.

Instead, she drove into the westbound lanes where she struck the pickup head-on, according to a CHP report.

The man was pinned inside the pickup, suffered major injuries and later died, Taylor said. Higuera had minor injuries, according to CHP reports.

The woman will be booked on a count of gross vehicular manslaughter, Taylor said.

A helicopter for airlift to Community Regional Medical Center was initially called to the scene, requiring an extended road closure between Jameson and Dower avenues. The road remained closed at about 4 p.m.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Distracted driver causes head-on fatal crash on Shaw Avenue near Biola."