2 dead, 3 injured in fiery Madera Ranchos head-on crash. CHP asks for information
Two people were killed and three injured in a head-on vehicle accident early Saturday near Madera Ranchos.
The crash happened about 2:40 a.m. on Highway 145 east of Road 38.
The two killed – a 37-year-old woman from Madera and a 29-year-old man from Hollister – were not named Saturday afternoon, pending notification of their families, California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Jobinger said.
The woman was driving a 2003 Honda Accord, and the man was driving a 2015 Chrysler 300.
CHP said three passengers suffered major injuries and were being treated at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. The passenger in the Chrysler was identified as Carlos LemosChamo, 24, of Merced, and the Honda passengers as Lisa Deanna Pena, 45, of Madera, and Daisy Figueroa, 35, of San Ysidro.
CHP said the driver of the Chrysler was passing another vehicle on Highway 145 when the crash occurred. The westbound Chrysler moved into the eastbound lane, striking the Honda head-on, CHP said.
After the collision, CHP said the Chrysler crashed through a barbed wire fence off the north shoulder of the highway, overturned, came to a stop in a cattle pasture and then burst into flames. The Honda spun clockwise and stopped, partially blocking the eastbound lane.
The drivers were pronounced dead at the scene.
CHP said it’s not currently known if alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor. The crash remains under investigation.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact the Madera area CHP office at 559-675-1025.
Highway 145 was closed for approximately four hours after the crash.
