Atwater man killed in two-vehicle crash near Buhach Colony High, police say

The Merced County Coroner’s Office has identified a man killed in an Atwater traffic collision on Sunday as 69-year-old Jose Orozco Asuncion of Atwater, according to Deputy Daryl Allen.

The Atwater Police Department is investigating the fatal collision that occurred near Buhach Colony High School.

At 11:33 a.m. officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision with an unresponsive driver near the intersection of Avenue Two and El Rodebaugh Court, according to Sgt. Dayton Snyder.

Snyder said police are in the preliminary stages of an investigation into the crash. According to police, it appears Asuncion was driving a GMC Acadia and failed to stop at a posted stop sign on El Rodebaugh Court while attempting to turn left onto Avenue Two.

As the driver of the GMC attempted to make the turn, it was struck by a Hyundai Sonata with two female occupants traveling eastbound on Avenue Two, according to Snyder.

“At that location, the only thing controlling the intersection is a stop sign at El Rodebaugh for northbound traffic,” Snyder said.

Snyder said the driver of the Hyundai attempted to swerve to avoid a collision but was unsuccessful and collided with the left rear area of the GMC. Arriving officers immediately began performing life saving measures on Asuncion, who was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.

Snyder said both occupants of the Hyundai were transported to an area hospital for treatment of cuts and abrasions.

According to police, neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision, which remains under investigation.