A violent head-on collision on a two-lane highway in Madera County Friday morning left eight people dead, and the lone survivor was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities.
The fatal crash took place around 6:15 a.m. Friday on 7th Avenue, a two-lane local highway, just west of Highway 22, according to Javier Ruvalcaba, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in Madera.
A Chevrolet pickup truck was driving east on the highway when it veered across the dotted yellow line separating the lanes and collided with a 1990s GMC Safari, Ruvalcaba said.
The Chevrolet was occupied only by its driver, but the GMC it crashed into was packed with eight people headed to work at a local farm. Many of them were not wearing seat belts, according to Ruvalcaba.
One person was ejected from the GMC while another was partially ejected from the vehicle, he said. Seven of the eight people in the GMC died and the driver of the Chevrolet also died, Ruvalcaba said.
“This is the worst crash I’ve ever seen in my career,” the 20-year CHP veteran said. “The bodies. The total number of bodies. It’s the largest number of bodies I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Ruvalcaba said the accident was a wake-up call for Californians to put on their seat belts when driving.
“Seat belts could have saved lives. Many lives,” she stated.
The Mexican consulate was on the scene, said Ruvulcaba, who described all of the crash victims as Hispanic. Family members were also there.
The part of the road where the accident occurred was straight and weather conditions did not play a role in the accident, Ruvalcaba said.
⚠️ROAD CLOSURE⚠️
7th Avenue is closed from Highway 21 to Highway 22 due to a fatal accident. There is no ETO at this time. Please look for alternative routes.— CHP Madera (@ChpMadera) February 23, 2024
The CHP said 7th Avenue was closed between Highways 21 and 22 due to the accident and there was no estimated time when it could be reopened.