FRESNO, California – Seven children and two adult drivers were killed in a head-on collision in central California on New Year’s Day, authorities said.
The children, who were between the ages of 6 and 15, were members of two related families who were riding in a 2007 Ford that collided with a Dodge vehicle around 8 p.m. Friday on State Route 33 between Avenal and Coalinga, the office said. Fresno County Coroner and the California Highway Patrol.
Evidence from the scene suggests that the Dodge driven by a 28-year-old man was traveling south on the highway when it veered onto the dirt shoulder for an unknown reason, the CHP said.
The driver then overcorrected and swerved into the southbound lane, where he would have collided with the Ford, driven by a woman.
The Ford burst into flames on the dirt shoulder, while the Dodge stopped in both lanes of the highway, the CHP said. All eight people inside the Ford were killed, including the seven children.
The driver of the Dodge was identified as Daniel Luna of Avenal. The coroner’s office was working to identify the victims at the Ford.
Authorities have not released information on possible injuries.
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