One of the drivers killed in a head-on collision on Highway 41, Fresno County California, has been identified as 40-year-old Kenneth Atkins of Madera. The Fresno County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity on Thursday, September 17th.
Facts from the car accident report placed the time of the accident at about 6 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16th, near Elkhorn Avenue. According to the California Highway Patrol, a Nissan pickup truck headed north on the highway’s southbound lane.
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The truck and a Hyundai, driven by Atkins, sideswiped an SUV, causing them to collide head-on. The force of the impact left both drivers with severe injuries, and they died at the scene. The highway patrol said the pickup truck burst into flames.
The coroner has not revealed the identity of the truck driver at the time of this report. The four occupants of the SUV did not suffer any injury from the occurrence. The CHP said it is not unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident. There is no additional information.
Motor vehicle collisions are mostly the resultant effect of drivers’ negligence. Wrong-way driving falls under the latter. Under the California Vehicle Code, a person travels the wrong way when they go in a direction other than the one the road was intended for.
It is a traffic offense punishable with the payment of a fine. However, if an accident occurs and leads to injury or death, the offender would face more severe punishments like possible imprisonment.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.