Alcohol may have played a factor in Sunday evening's deadly crash in which a Ceres man was traveling the wrong direction on Highway 99 and was killed after colliding with another car.
The 46-year-old Ceres driver who died instantly in the head-on crash was identified as Juan Rubrica.
The crash occurred south of the Pine Street overpass in the southbound lanes of 99. The California Highway Patrol said that Rubrica was northbound in the southbound lanes in a 1990 Honda Accord. The crash occurred in the fast lane when a Fresno family's 1999 Ford Explorer. The driver of the Ford, Sandra Cardenas, 32, of Fresno, saw the oncoming Honda and attempted to swerve out of is path. She steered hard to the left in an attempt to squeeze between the Honda and a cement divider but the two cars collided at their right front sections. The Ford flipped onto its left side.
All the occupants of the Ford were seatbelted but were pinned in with injuries. The most seriously injured was Cardenas' 12-year-old son who suffered major injuries, and was rushed to the University of California Medical Center in Sacramento. Her 10-year-old daughter sustained major injuries, and was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Moderate injuries were suffered by Cardenas and her nine-year-old son. Mrs. Cardenas was taken to Memorial Medical Center and her son to Doctors.
Sherri Arrington, 43, of Fresno, suffered major injuries, and was rushed to Doctors Medical Center for treatment.
Rubrica was traveling at about 40 mph at the time of the crash.
The California Highway Patrol said Rubrica entered the freeway the wrong way at Taylor Road and that an officer spotted him in the Mitchell Road area. The CHP officer made several different attempts to get Rubrica to stop his car and get off the freeway just prior to the crash.
The Cardenas family was returning to Fresno after picking up Arrington from the Sacramento Airport, one source said.
The autopsy on the dead driver will seek to determine what chemicals were in his bloodstream.
The 46-year-old Ceres driver who died instantly in the head-on crash was identified as Juan Rubrica.
The crash occurred south of the Pine Street overpass in the southbound lanes of 99. The California Highway Patrol said that Rubrica was northbound in the southbound lanes in a 1990 Honda Accord. The crash occurred in the fast lane when a Fresno family's 1999 Ford Explorer. The driver of the Ford, Sandra Cardenas, 32, of Fresno, saw the oncoming Honda and attempted to swerve out of is path. She steered hard to the left in an attempt to squeeze between the Honda and a cement divider but the two cars collided at their right front sections. The Ford flipped onto its left side.
All the occupants of the Ford were seatbelted but were pinned in with injuries. The most seriously injured was Cardenas' 12-year-old son who suffered major injuries, and was rushed to the University of California Medical Center in Sacramento. Her 10-year-old daughter sustained major injuries, and was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Moderate injuries were suffered by Cardenas and her nine-year-old son. Mrs. Cardenas was taken to Memorial Medical Center and her son to Doctors.
Sherri Arrington, 43, of Fresno, suffered major injuries, and was rushed to Doctors Medical Center for treatment.
Rubrica was traveling at about 40 mph at the time of the crash.
The California Highway Patrol said Rubrica entered the freeway the wrong way at Taylor Road and that an officer spotted him in the Mitchell Road area. The CHP officer made several different attempts to get Rubrica to stop his car and get off the freeway just prior to the crash.
The Cardenas family was returning to Fresno after picking up Arrington from the Sacramento Airport, one source said.
The autopsy on the dead driver will seek to determine what chemicals were in his bloodstream.
