A crash between two semi-trucks resulted in the death of a Cantua Creek resident.
According to the Los Banos office of the California Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred in the late evening hours of Oct. 15 on Henry Miller Avenue just east of Cherokee Road.
The CHP said that a Freightliner driven by Alonzo de Jesus Lara, 32, of Madera, was heading east on Henry Miller hauling two trailers of tomatoes at a stated speed of 55 mph. At the same time, another Freightliner with two empty trailers was heading west on Henry Miller.
According to CHP spokesman Shannon Stiers, Lara’s right tires drifted off the south shoulder of the road, causing the rear trailer to lose control and veer into the westbound lane. The front of the other Freightliner crashed into the rear trailer, causing fatal injuries to the driver.
He was identified by the Merced County Coroner’s office as Pedro Saldana, 32, of Cantua Creek.
Lara was not injured.
Stiers added that the crash remains under investigation.
