Update: Two people killed in head-on crash along Highway 33 in Fresno County identified

UPDATE: Michael Alaniz, 22, of Kerman and Andrea Gabriel, 24, of Firebaugh were identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Thursday as the victims killed in the crash Oct. 21.

ORIGINAL STORY: Two people died in a head-on collision along Highway 33 in Fresno County, according to authorities.

Los Banos-area California Highway Patrol officers responded about 11:04 p.m. Friday to the scene of the crash in the area of the highway and Shaw Avenue, according to a CHP news release.

Authorities said a woman was driving a Ford going north at an unknown speed with a male passenger. The car drifted into the southbound lane and into the path of a vehicle towing a two-axle flatbed trailer loaded with fertilizer.

The CHP said the crash was unavoidable and caused major front end damage to both vehicles. Both people in the Ford were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Names of the deceased will be released after notification of family.

The other driver, 19-year-old Jimmy Saravia of Mendota, reported minor injuries and complaint of pain. A section of the highway was closed to allow time to clear away debris.

According to the CHP, neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision.

This story was originally published October 23, 2022 at 4:09 PM.