Crash kills two near Niland

A two-car crash leaves two people dead near Niland .

The California Highway Patrol says it happened around 12:30 Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of English and Schrimpf Roads.

Officers say a Ford van and a Hyundai entered the intersection at the same time. The van smashed into the side of the smaller car causing it to spin out and fly up an embankment. The van also spun out. It skidded off the road and hit a power pole.

A passenger in the back seat of the Hyundai was not wearing her seatbelt. She died at the scene. A woman sitting in the passenger seat of the car later died at Desert Regional Hospital.

Paramedics took both drivers to the hospital. Neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Highway Patrol doesn’t believe alcohol contributed to the crash. However, officers do note this particularly intersection does not have stop signs in either direction. They warn drivers to be particularly careful in similar uncontrolled and blind intersections.