Driver and passenger killed in collision with big rig on Highway 152 in Merced County

Two people were killed when their car collided with a big rig Sunday in Merced County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officers responded about 6:05 a.m. to a report of a crash involving a big rig and a sedan in the area of eastbound Highway 152 and Volta Road, according to Los Banos-area CHP Sgt. Myles Anderson.

Officers arrived to find a 2008 Volvo big rig on the south shoulder of the highway, Anderson said, and a 1999 Honda Accord with major front end damage in the No. 1 lane.

The truck, driven by Fidel Soto Artega, 50, of Delhi, was traveling east along the 152 toward Volta Road hauling a fully loaded trailer of dairy products, according to the CHP.

Anderson said the Honda was traveling south on Volta when it crossed the westbound lanes of Highway 152 before entering the eastbound lanes where it collided with the big rig’s trailer. Based on a witness statement, the Honda appeared to have been going at a high rate of speed, Anderson said.

The driver of the car, believed to be a 33-year-old man out of Merced, and a woman passenger, believed to be 63, from San Jose, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Anderson said it appears the Honda entered the eastbound traffic lane without yielding to the big rig. The truck driver did not report any injures.

According to the CHP, it is unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol were a factor.

“We didn’t see any information that it was, but we’re not going to rule it out at this moment,” Anderson said.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Eastbound 152 at Volta was closed for about two hours. Traffic was diverted onto northbound and southbound Volta Road.

This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 11:26 AM.