Coroner identifies two girls killed in fiery crash in Fresno County. They were both 16

The identities of the two 16-year-old girls killed in a fiery car crash last month in eastern Fresno County were released Thursday by investigators.

The Fresno County Coroner’s Office said Jaqueline Martinez and Yolanda Chapa, both of Orange Cove, were killed in the crash near Orange Cove on Aug. 8.

The crash happened about noon at the intersection of Manning and Hills Valley Road, when the girls in a Toyota 4Runner SUV ran a stop sign and drove into the path of a commercial big rig truck, according to the California Highway Patrol

Both vehicles overturned multiple times and the SUV caught fire.

Martinez and Chapa died at the scene after bystanders were unable to pull them free from the fire, the CHP said.

The driver of the commercial truck was wearing a seat belt and sustained minor injuries. He was transported to a Tulare County hospital.

DUI is not suspected in the collision, the CHP said.

This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 7:20 AM.

Anthony Galaviz

The Fresno Bee

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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription