Two men killed in Fresno County crashes

Crashes in rural Fresno County claimed the lives of two men on Oct. 2 and Saturday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The first crash occurred sometime on Oct. 2. A 53-year-old Stockton resident was driving alone on Shaw Avenue, west of Howard Avenue near the community of Biola, when he veered off the road for unknown reasons. His 2009 Toyota struck a concrete irrigation box and overturned, causing fatal injuries.

The second crash happened just after 2 a.m. Saturday. A 36-year-old Fresno man was driving a 2004 Ford F-150 north on Highway 41 near Elkhorn Avenue when he attempted to pass a slower vehicle. The truck crossed over a double yellow line into the southbound lane going approximately 65 miles per hour, the CHP said.

At the same time, a woman was driving a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder around 55 miles per hour south on Highway 41. She attempted to swerve out of the way, but her car and the truck collided head-on.

The driver of the truck died from his injuries. A passenger in the truck also suffered a chest contusion and a broken leg. The Nissan driver had some face, neck and chest pain after the accident, the CHP said.

The identities of those killed in the crashes were withheld pending notification of their families.

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Two men killed in Fresno County crashes."