Head-on crash leaves three dead, tears up two communities

Adriana Solorio Romero, 24, of Five Points, was the first person in her immigrant family to graduate from college when she received her bachelor of arts degree from Fresno State two weeks ago.

Her life was cut short Sunday when she died in a head-on collision on a rural highway in Fresno County.

Also killed was Joanna Delgado, 18, of Kerman, a student at Tranquillity High who was pregnant and who was to graduate on Thursday. The accident at about 7:15 p.m. caused Delgado to give birth, but the female child died the next day at a hospital, authorities said

Delgado was driving a Honda north on Highway 145 north of Elkhorn Avenue when, for unknown reasons, her Honda Civic crossed over the broken yellow center divider and collided with the Kia Optima that Romero was driving southbound. The CHP continues to investigate the cause.

Romero was known to her friends and family as Adriana Solorio, said her cousin Gabby Perez, 23, of Fresno.

Her cousin was driving to Five Points to get clothes to wear the next week at her job at a day care in Fresno, Perez said.

Everyone liked her cousin, Perez said.

“She was just always so happy,” Perez said. “Her friends were like family to her. She was supportive. She was always laughing and having a good time with her friends. There was nothing bad to ever say about her. She’s always been that way. She was so selfless.”

Perez said her cousin was born in Mexico and came to the United States with her parents at age 3, along with an older sister, Sonia, age 7. A younger brother, Oscar, was born later.

Her parents, Candelario and Eva Solorio, settled in Five Points, where they are employed by Harris Farms.

Solorio graduated from Riverdale High in 2011 and went to Fresno State. She had a scholarship from Harris Farms to help pay for her education.

Perez said her cousin majored in child development because “that’s what she really loved, working with kids.”

Fresno State lecturer Kabeljit Atwal said Romero was a student in four of her child development classes.

“She was an intelligent student who always strived to do the best that she could,” Atwal said. “Her calm demeanor, positive attitude, and unique smile was the essence of the classroom environment.

“On the last day of class, I handed her a reference letter and she gave me a big hug. Her last words were, ‘Thank you for everything! I am so excited about working with young children.’”

Perez has started a Go Fund Me page for funeral expenses, while a Go Fund Me page has also been started for Delgado’s family.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Head-on crash leaves three dead, tears up two communities."