One person dead following four vehicle crash
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating a crash that left one person dead.
According to a press release, the crash happened on Saturday, December 21 at 9:00 p.m. when a 51-year-old man from Brawley was driving a 1996 Toyota Camry "northbound on State Route (SR) 111, north of McCabe Road."
CHP said the driver of the Toyota veered "to the left, traveled through the dirt center median and into the southbound lanes of State Route 111," resulting in the Toyota colliding into a 2003 Ford F-150, which was driven by a 39-year-old man from El Centro.
Not only that, a 49-year-old man from Mexicali was driving a 2022 Volkswagen Taos at that time, but crashed into the Ford after being "unable to take evasive action," according to CHP.
A 28-year-old woman from Fontana, California, was driving a 2023 Toyota Camry also at that time, but in an attempt to avoid the crash, CHP said the woman "turned to the left, traveled through the dirt center median and across the northbound lanes of State Route 111 where she collided into a barbed wire perimeter fence on the right shoulder."
CHP says the driver of the 1996 Toyota Camry died from his injuries, prompting them to notify the Imperial County Coroner's Office, who then responded to the scene and took the man's body; CHP says the Coroner's Office will release the name of the victim pending next of kin notification.
CHP also said the driver of the Ford F-150 suffered moderate injuries and was taken, via REACH, to Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Palm Springs, California, while the driver of the Volkswagen Taos, as well as his passengers, suffered minor injuries and was taken, via an AMR ambulance, to El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC), "where they were treated for their injuries."
In addition, CHP said with the exception of the driver of the 1996 Toyota Camry, the drivers of the Ford F-150, Volkswagen Taos and 2023 Toyota Camry were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, and it is unknown if impairment was a factor in the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing.
