Madera County authorities are investigating a collision that killed eight men, most of whom were farmworkers, early Friday morning.
According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson Javier Ruvalcaba, the crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. when a Chevrolet pickup truck reportedly crossed the median on Avenue 7 near Road 22, southwest of the City of Madera.
The truck collided head-on with a GMC van carrying eight farmworkers on their way to work. The driver of the pickup was killed, along with the driver of the van and six passengers.
A remaining passenger in the van was transported to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno with major injuries.
The farmworkers worked for Lion Farms, according to Ruvalcaba.
Six of the passengers were reportedly not wearing seatbelts, and many were ejected from the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Witnesses told investigators the driver of the pickup truck had been weaving around the road and had clipped the rearview mirror of another vehicle shortly before the fatal collision. Investigators can not say whether alcohol or other substances were involved until the county coroner’s office releases a toxicology report on the driver.
Authorities were notifying family members of those killed before releasing their identities.
This story was reported by KVPR, a partner of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.