Three people died Thursday after the SUV they were in overturned into a canal just outside of Los Banos, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Shannon Stiers, spokesman for the CHP Los Banos Office, said at approximately 3:02 p.m. a motorist drove by a non-injury accident scene on H Street and informed a CHP officer that a vehicle had just overturned into a canal in a second accident 100 yards away at the Overland Avenue intersection.
The CHP reported to the scene of the second accident and assisted motorists and law enforcement personnel from other agencies in diving into the canal and trying to rescue three people who had been inside the vehicle. A male and a female, believed to be in their 50s or 60, who had been in the blue Cadillac SUV were pulled out of the water and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the CHP. A third passenger, a woman estimated to be of similar age, was taken out of the water alive. She was transported to Memorial Hospital Los Banos where she died from her injuries, the CHP stated.
A preliminary investigation that included eyewitnesses determined the Cadillac had been traveling westbound on Overland Avenue and failed to navigate the sharp turn near the H Street intersection. The Cadillac overturned into an irrigation canal as a result.
Stiers said drugs and alcohol are not suspected to have been involved in the accident.
The identity of the victims is being withheld until authorities can notify family members.
The Los Banos Police Department and Cal Fire assisted at the accident scene.

Corey Pride