Update: Man and woman killed in wrong-way collision on Highway 99 in Fresno identified
Two people were killed Saturday morning following a head-on collision on Highway 99 in Fresno.
The California Highway Patrol responded to the collision just before 7:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a wrong-way driver traveling north in the southbound lanes of the highway just south of Shaw Avenue.
Within a minute of the initial report, officers were notified of a head-on collision involving the wrong-way vehicle, a Lexus ES300 driven by a 64-year-old man who had entered the highway at Ashlan Avenue. The Lexus collided head-on with a Ford F-150 driven by a 47-year-old man.
The impact caused both vehicles to rotate within the lanes before crashing into a third vehicle, a Honda Civic driven by a 26-year-old man.
The driver of the Lexus and a 73-year-old woman passenger in the Ford were pronounced dead at the scene.
They were identified Monday by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Paul Weldon, 64, of Fresno and Mariana Perez Tinajero, 73, of Selma.
CHP said the Lexus driver was not wearing a seat belt.
The other five occupants inside the Ford were transported to Community Regional Medical Center with injuries ranging from moderate to major.
The driver of the Honda was treated and released at the scene with minor injuries.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
It is unknown whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.
Toxicology results from the Fresno County Coroner’s office are pending.
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 11:40 AM.
