Seven children were killed in a car crash in California during New year's day. A total of nine people were killed in the head-on collision of two vehicles at Fresno County in California.
According to reports, the seven children who died in the car crash were around the ages of 6 and 15 years old. The two other individuals killed in the crash were the two drivers of the two vehicles.
Authorities are conducting continuous investigation on the incident. They are also determining if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
The cars crash
In a report from the People, the car crash happened when a 2013 Dodge Journey collided with a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
The incident happened at around eight in the evening at State Route 33 which is near the Fresno County-Kings County line.
The Dodge Journey was driven by a 28-year-old male named Daniel Luna. He was from Avenal, California.
The pick-up, on the other hand, was driven by an unidentified woman.
All of the seven children were aboard the pick-up truck. Reports also disclosed that the seven children were members of two related families.
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What happened?
According to the California Highway Patrol, the Dodge SUV driven by Luna was taking the southbound road, at an unknown speed. Suddenly, Luna veered onto the dirt shoulder. He overcorrected the incident and when he tried to return to the highway, he swerved to the centerline. That is when he collided with the Ford pick-up.
Authorities reported that the pick-up truck was "fully engulfed in flames." This incident is believed to have killed the seven children aboard the pickup truck, the driver, and Luna.
The authorities are investigating.
Even though the collision's details were already disclosed, the Fresno County Coroner's Office is continuing its investigation. The Coroner's Office is looking into the possibility of whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the tragic death of the seven children.
Authorities are also working on identifying the victims of the car crash.
The seatbelts
Also, officials discovered that the pickup truck carrying the kids only had six available seatbelts and that the passengers were not buckled up. Capt. Kevin Clays of the California Highway Patrol emphasized that the chances of severe injury or death is greater when traveling without a seatbelt.
The tragic incident
It was the members of the Californa Highway Patrol that responded to the car crash.
Capt. Clays mentioned that it is indeed a tragic incident for the community. He added that events like these are also difficult for officers. He said, "It's tragic for our officers that respond to these incidents." Because of this, those who responded to the incidents have been offered counseling.
