Responders care for one of the three victims in this morning's accident. A big-rig driver attempted a U-turn into the northbound lane, and a car could not avoid it.
One man was confirmed dead and two others were airlifted in critical condition this morning after a big-rig attempted to do an illegal U-turn on Highway 152 and the car containing the victims was forced to slam through the bottom of the truck's trailer, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Emergency responders pronounced one of the victims, an 18-year-old man from Turlock, dead at the scene. Two others - an 18-year-old man from Hughson and a 19-year-old woman from Ceres, also the driver - were flown to Regional Medical Center of San Jose in critical condition with major injuries, according to the CHP.
The driver of the big-rig - a Costco Wholesale truck - is a 57-year-old man from Hayward, said Officer Matt Peters, a CHP spokesman. He noted how investigators were continuing to examine the accident and why the big-rig driver decided to attempt a U-turn on the dirt median into the eastbound lanes in the area north of the Highways 152-156 interchange. The truck driver was not immediately arrested or cited, Peters said at the accident scene, noting how the investigation is continuing.
Shortly after the accident, the big-rig remained parked with its trailer over the median and the newer Dodge Charger that had contained the victims was close by with the top portion of the car severed completely. Responders treated the two other victims at the scene, with each then airlifted by Calstar helicopters to the San Jose hospital.
Traffic on Highway 152 was halted in the eastbound lanes and slowed severely in the westbound lanes for about an hour.
Peters also noted how a witness told authorities the Charger had been going about 75 to 80 mph - while the speed limit there is 65 mph. He was unsure about the two who survived at the scene, but Peters also said the fatal victim had been wearing a seat belt.
Responders included the San Benito County Fire Department, the Santa Clara County Fire Department, Calfire and the CHP.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance and Pinnacle. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
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