Merced County coroner identifies driver, passenger killed on Highway 152 near Los Banos

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has identified the driver and passenger killed in a collision with a big rig on Highway 152 near Los Banos, as Felipe Molina Loera, 33, and Maria Chavez Salas, 63, both of Merced, according to Deputy Daryl Allen.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to the collision just after 6 a.m. in the area of Highway 152 and Volta Road.

According to the CHP, the driver and passenger were killed when their 1999 Honda Accord traveling southbound on Volta Road collided with the trailer of a big rig traveling eastbound on Highway 152.

According to the CHP, it appears the Honda entered the eastbound traffic lane without yielding to the big rig. As a result of the collision, eastbound 152 at Volta Road was closed for about two hours. The driver of the big rig was not injured.