Madera woman killed in four-vehicle crash

A 59-year-old Madera woman died Monday in a four-vehicle collision on Highway 152 after a big rig hit a van, then crossed into oncoming traffic at the bottom of Pacheco Pass, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The woman was identified by the Merced County Coroner’s Office as Gretta Roberts, Sgt. Delray Shelton confirmed.

The driver of the big rig, Juan Robles Reyes, 56, of Hollister suffered major injuries and was flown to a Modesto hospital. Van occupants, Hiep Nguyen and Tri Van Nguyen, both of San Jose, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Memorial Hospital Los Banos.

The collision was reported around 7:30 a.m. Monday on Highway 152, east of Basalt Road. The crash snarled traffic for an hour in both directions before one westbound lane was reopened. The other lane was closed for two more hours as officers investigated the crashed and cleared the scene.

Reyes, driving a 2000 Freightliner, was headed east at about 55 mph when he slammed into the back of a 2002 Isuzu box van, driven by Hiep Nguyen. The collision forced the Isuzu off the roadway and down an embankment, the CHP said.

Investigators said the Freightliner traveled out of control across the median and into the westbound lanes, where it collided head-on with a 2005 Dodge pickup truck driven by Roberts.

Joe Muniz, 50, of Fresno was approaching the crash scene in a 2004 Chevrolet and was unable to stop before crashing into the vehicles. He was not injured, the CHP said.

The CHP said the cause of the collision remains under investigation.

This story was originally published November 24, 2014 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Madera woman killed in four-vehicle crash."