Victims identified in fatal crashes in Merced County

Three people killed in separate and unrelated vehicle collisions last week in Merced County have been identified by the Coroner’s Office.

Henry Ray Sevier, 34, of Oakdale, died Friday when he was ejected from a vehicle on Highway 99, between Livingston and Delhi, Sgt. Delray Shelton confirmed.

Martha Gonzalez Orozco, 55, of El Nido, and Kenneth Ray Pickens, 54, of Firebaugh, died Wednesday in a two-vehicle collision in the area of Highway 59 at West Chamberlain Road in the El Nido area, Shelton confirmed.

Both cases are being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said Sevier was a passenger in a 2008 Dodge pickup truck Friday night. The driver of the truck, identified by the CHP as Joseph Jesse Padilla, of Salida, apparently lost control of the truck, veering off the roadway and down a steep embankment. The truck overturned at the bottom of the hill, and Sevier was thrown from the cab, the CHP said.

Padilla, 37, suffered unspecified major injuries and was taken to a regional hospital for treatment. An update on his condition was not available Monday.

The crash on Wednesday that claimed the lives of Orozco and Pickens occurred, the CHP said, when Pickens made a left turn, moving directly into the path of the oncoming van, driven by Orozco. The two vehicles collided and both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

A 17-year-old boy who was a passenger in Orozco’s vehicle suffered unspecified moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital. An update on his condition was not available Monday.

This story was originally published February 9, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Victims identified in fatal crashes in Merced County."