Nine people, including seven people aged 6 to 15, died in a head-on accident between an SUV and a pickup truck in Fresno County, California, on Friday, officials said.
Authorities did not release the names of the victims, and the California Highway Patrol said it was working with the Fresno County Coroner’s Office to determine whether alcohol or drugs may have influenced the accident.
The collision happened around 8 pm local on State Route 33, near the Fresno County-Kings County line, when the SUV, a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by a 28-year-old man from Avenal, California, was traveling south at a speed unknown, said the Highway Patrol.
When the driver approached a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup that was traveling in the opposite direction, he swerved to the side of the road, lost control and traveled back through the center line, crashing into the pickup, the Highway Patrol said. .
The pickup, which was driven by a woman, was “totally engulfed in flames” and all eight occupants were killed, officials said.
Among the dead are seven people who appear to be 6 to 15 years old, said Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
The SUV driver was also killed, Captain Kevin Clays, of the California Highway Patrol, told a news conference.
The truck was equipped with only six seat belts, said Captain Clays.
He noted that when people are not wearing their seat belts, the chances of suffering serious injuries in an accident are “much higher”. He said police officers who responded to the collision received advice.
“It is tragic for the community,” he said. “It is tragic for our officers who respond to these incidents.”