Four persons in two vehicles were injured – three of them seriously – in a Saturday morning crash on Hatch Road east of Clinton Road.

The crash between a 2017 Hyundai sedan and a 2021 Mercedes AMG SUV was reported to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) at approximately 8:32 a.m. Both came to rest on the south shoulder of the road.

The driver of the Hyundai, Jonathan Alejandro Robles Sanchez, 22, of Hickman, sustained major injuries and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. His two passengers, Angel Flores, 25, and Ciara Bowerman, 24, both of Modesto, sustained major injuries and were transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

The driver of the Mercedes, Sukhjinder Singh Sanghera, 55, of Hughson, suffered minor injuries but was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

The CHP said Sanchez was headed westbound on Hatch Road at an unknown speed and decided to pass another vehicle using the left-turn lane when he drifted into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with Sanghera’s Mercedes. The CHP estimated that Sanghera was moving at approximately 55 mph.

All parties were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, except for Bowerman who was partially ejected as a result of the collision.

Traffic on Hatch Road was disrupted for approximately 90 minutes due to the CHP’s investigation.

The CHP is attempting to learn why Sanchez drifted into the oncoming lane.