Fresno County Crash Kills Passenger, Seriously Injures Driver After Failed Left Turn

Jesse Hernandez, 72, of Fowler was pronounced dead at the scene of a rural Fresno County intersection Wednesday afternoon after a Ford F-250 made a left turn into the path of his Toyota Camry, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP Fresno Area units were dispatched about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to the intersection of Central and DeWolf avenues, southeast of Fresno, where they found a two-vehicle head-on collision. The Ford F-250 had been traveling eastbound on Central Avenue and slowing to make a left turn onto northbound DeWolf when its driver pulled into the path of an oncoming westbound Toyota Camry, failing to yield the right-of-way, CHP said. The Toyota driver applied the brakes but could not avoid the crash, striking the Ford's right front.

Hernandez was riding as the right-front passenger in the Toyota. He was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained critical injuries; CHP pronounced him dead at the scene. The Fresno County Coroner's Office officially identified him Thursday.

The Toyota's driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained major injuries. After the collision, he attempted to flee the scene on foot but collapsed a short distance away in a nearby orchard, unable to continue because of his injuries, CHP said. The driver and passenger of the Ford F-250 were both wearing seatbelts and were not injured.

No arrests or citations had been publicly reported as of Thursday. The CHP investigation remains ongoing.