3 dead, 5 injured in Merced County crash

Three people were killed and five others hospitalized over the weekend after a van crashed on Highway 152, officers from the California Highway Patrol reported.

Eight people were riding in a Chevrolet Astro van about 1:30 p.m. Saturday. They were returning from a day of working in agricultural fields, Sgt. Jesse Lopez said.

They were heading east on the highway in the area of Island Road when the vehicle began to drift off the roadway and the driver, Enrique Franco, 21, of Livingston, overcorrected and the vehicle rolled over, Lopez said.

Officers confirmed that six people were ejected from the van. Three of them, all women, died as a result of the crash. Their ages and names were not available.

Franco; Antonia Sandoval, 62; a 17-year-old boy; a 16-year-old girl; and an unidentified woman were taken to area hospitals. Officers said it appeared that only the 17-year-old was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Some of the victims were taken from the scene by helicopter and others in ambulances. The unidentified woman has serious injuries, while the others had moderate injuries, officers said.

The driver did not appear to be speeding or driving recklessly, officers said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

This story was originally published June 20, 2015 at 3:32 PM with the headline "3 dead, 5 injured in Merced County crash."