Update: The Calaveras County Coroner’s Office has identified Jose Villaseñor Espinoza, 35, of Bakersfield, as the victim of the accident.
Original article:
A 35-year-old man from Bakersfield died on Thursday afternoon following a head-on collision in Murphys, the California Highway Patrol reported.
At around 3:28 p.m., the man was driving a 2003 Toyota Camry westbound on Highway 4 to the east of Utica Powerhouse Road at about 45 mph when he veered off of the highway onto the north dirt shoulder, then veered back onto the highway and into the eastbound lane.
Louis Sweet, 68, of Sonora, and three juveniles were traveling in a 2006 Toyota Tundra at about 45 mph in the eastbound lane. When the Camry veered into the eastbound lane, the left side of the Camry collided head-on with the Tundra.
The driver of the Camry sustained fatal injuries, and his two passengers were injured and transported to Modesto Memorial Hospital.
Sweet sustained moderate injuries and was also transported to Modesto Memorial. His three juvenile passengers sustained minor injuries and were picked up by family members at the scene of the crash.
Fatigue or distracted driving may have been a factor in the crash, and alcohol or drugs are not suspected to have played a role, the CHP reported.
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