Driver killed, three children injured in collision with big rig in Merced County, CHP says

The California Highway Patrol is investigating an early morning collision that killed a woman and injured three children near Castle Commerce Center in Merced County on Monday.

The Merced County Sheriff Coroners Office has identified the woman as 35-year-old Azucena Ibarra Gonzalez, according to Deputy Daryl Allen.

Just after 7 a.m., officers responded to the two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Bellevue and Fox roads, according to Merced-area CHP Officer Eric Zuniga.

The woman was driving a Chevrolet SUV westbound on Bellevue Road with three of her children, all boys, ages 7, 10 and 11, according to Zuniga.

For unknown reasons, the driver of the Chevrolet appears to have failed to stop at a stop and made a left turn at the intersection with Fox Road directly in front of a big rig driving north on Fox Road and hauling 79,000 pounds of chicken feed, according to CHP.

Zuniga said the big rig collided with the Chevrolet’s driver side door. According to the CHP there is no stop sign for northbound or southbound traffic of Fox Road at the intersection.

Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene and the three juvenile male passengers were taken to Valley Children’s Hospital with injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

Zuniga said all of the children are expected to survive. The big rig driver was not injured. According to Zuniga, Fox Road is currently closed at the intersection with Bellevue Road.

The CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be factors in the collision, which remains under investigation.

This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 10:13 AM.