11-year-old killed when truck hits propane tank, goes airborne and crashes into home

An 11-year-old boy was killed Saturday morning after a pickup crashed into a home in Madera, also killing the pickup driver and injuring a 9-year-old boy in the home, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Rafael Rivera.

According to a witness, the 36-year-old driver of an older model GMC pickup was having a “medical emergency,” Rivera said, and veered off Road 37 near Cloverleaf Avenue just after 9 a.m.

The pickup hit a mailbox on the east shoulder of the highway at 40 mph, then accelerated and hit a propane tank. The truck then went airborne and crashed into the garage of a home that had been converted into a bedroom where the two boys were, Rivera said.

The 9-year-old suffered moderate to major injuries to his legs, Rivera said.

This story was originally published November 25, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "11-year-old killed when truck hits propane tank, goes airborne and crashes into home."