U-Turn Blamed in Fatal Van Crash
FRESNO — A report released Tuesday by the California Highway Patrol found that a truck driver made an unsafe U-turn before a farm-labor van slammed into it, killing 13 of the 15 tomato pickers inside.
The turn made by Adrian Menjivar Erazo on a remote and narrow road in the early morning darkness Aug. 9 was cited by the CHP as the primary cause of the accident, which also led to the state’s first seat-belt law for farm-worker vehicles.
The investigation also found Elias Duran Martinez, the driver of the van, partly to blame. He was among the 13 people killed. The CHP estimated Martinez was driving between 58 and 66 mph. The maximum is 55 mph on that stretch of road.
The owner of the van, Jose Lopez Rosas, also was cited in the 114-page report for infractions, including allowing the van to be operated by an unlicensed driver. Also, the CHP found the van was not properly maintained.
Fresno County prosecutors will determine whether charges would be pursued against Erazo, who was not injured.
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