‘I am barely surviving.’ Clovis man describes multi-fatal crash near Table Mountain Casino
The driver of a car hit by a suspected drunk driver in a head-on collision that killed five near Table Mountain Casino described on Sunday the intense pain that he feels for his family.
That includes a cousin killed in the crash and another cousin who was hurt, said Jugjeet Muhar, 42. He is also very worried for his elderly parents, because he is responsible for their care.
Muhar is in Community Regional Medical Center, where he was rushed following the 4:30 a.m. Saturday collision.
The California Highway Patrol reported Muhar’s Honda Accord was hit by a 2016 Hyundai Accent being driven west on the wrong side of Millerton Road near Marina Drive, just west of the casino. At the wheel of the Hyundai was a 20-year-old man from Tulare.
All four people in the Hyundai died, as did one of Muhar’s cousins in the Honda.
Rescue workers used the Jaws of Life to free Muhar and cousin Davinder Brar, 44, from the crushed Honda.
CHP spokesman Mike Salas said investigators found evidence at the scene indicating alcohol might be factor in the collision, but the final cause has not been determined.
Reached at the hospital, Muhar said:
“We were headed home, and the other vehicle came into our lane. Maybe he was drunk. He hit me head-on.
“I am barely surviving. My cousin died.”
Muhar, who said he received an MBA at Fresno State and was planning to get a PhD, added that he was enjoying a long-delayed get-together with his cousins. Brar is also from Clovis, and the cousin who perished in the crash is from Arkansas. That victim has not been identified by the Fresno County Coroner.
Murhar said he has a badly broken leg and foot.
“I don’t think it will ever be the same,” he said, “all because of someone else’s fault.”
He added the he had put his career on hold so that he could take care of his elderly parents. The getaway was a chance to take a short break. Now, his concern is for the parents, who are in frail condition.
“I’m in here. It’s very hard.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2022 at 11:13 AM.