Four killed in three-vehicle crash that spilled debris across northwest Fresno intersection
Four people died in a traffic collision in northwest Fresno late Saturday.
Three cars were involved in the crash, which closed the intersection of Palm and Bullard avenues overnight. It was reopened mid-morning Sunday.
Police responded at 11:40 p.m. to multiple calls of a crash and officers arrived to find debris spread across the roadway and into a parking lot. Tires could be seen in the lot and an engine for one of the cars was along the wall of a business.
Police are still investigating the exact details and cause, but believe the driver of a black Ford Mustang was speeding west on Bullard and ran a red light at Palm, striking at least one of the two other vehicles — a white Toyota Tacoma pickup and a silver Mini Cooper.
Surveillance video from the Sinclair gas station on the southeast corner of the intersection supports that conclusion. The video from a camera mounted on a pole at the corner of the lot shows the light for traffic on Palm turn green and a moment later a car speeds into the intersection, crashing into the passenger side of the truck.
Two of five people inside the white truck died on the scene, Fresno police Lt. Jordan Beckford said. A third was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and later died.
The driver of the Mustang was pinned inside the vehicle and extracted by the Fresno Fire Department. He was taken to CRMC, where he died.
None of those killed have been identified pending family notifications.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, a 17-year-old girl, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The truck’s remaining occupants were taken to the hospital and were in critical and stable condition, respectively, police said.
Vigil forms at crash scene
As a new night arrived, a candlelight vigil was held at the crash site in remembrance of one of the four people who died in the crash.
Many of those who were there declined comment and no one wanted to provide the person’s full name or to say which vehicle their friend was in. Some did say he was a former high school classmate.
About 30 people in all gathered on a walkway near the intersection. Flowers, balloons and candles were placed in the center of the group as mourners reminisced about their friend, who they said was just 18.
Anthony Mancha described himself as a close friend of a teenager he remembers as a happy and fun-spirited person.
“He was just a goofy man who always loved boxing and play fighting,” Mancha said. “He was always happy and always someone you wanted to be around when you were sad. Deep down in his heart, he always had good intentions and he was a good kid.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2020 at 7:14 AM with the headline "Four killed in three-vehicle crash that spilled debris across northwest Fresno intersection."
