Family sets up memorial fund for fatal wreck victim

The driver in the fatal accident on Duncan Road was a 21-year-old San Juan Bautista man, Antonio Sanchez Garcia, according to family members who have established a memorial account for funeral costs.
Garcia died Monday afternoon when he lost control of his car and crashed into a farm trailer on Duncan Road near San Juan Bautista.
A coroner’s office representative could not be reached to confirm his identity, but a family friend of the victim, Garcia, noted that a memorial account has been established to cover costs of a funeral.
The accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. in a rural area between Bixby Road and Lucy Brown Lane.
Garcia was the only person in the vehicle and was dead when authorities arrived to the scene.
Skid marks starting about 200 feet from the trailer indicated that the westbound 1997 Acura Integra went off the right side of the road onto a dirt path, later colliding with the trailer, according to the CHP. The car’s windshield and top were peeled back as a result of the collision.
The CHP on Tuesday noted the following: “Preliminary investigation suggests that alcohol and/or drugs may be a factor in this collision.” A CHP spokesman did not respond immediately to expand on that statement.
The CHP is continuing its investigation, but the length of the skid marks pointed to possible speeding in the 55 mph zone.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho mentioned the fatal accident Tuesday morning at a board of supervisor’s meeting. Hwy. 156 runs through his district.
“We have to slow down and recognize where we are,” he said. “I just wanted to remind people to be aware of the consequences of speeding.”
At the same meeting, Scotty Douglas, the general manager of Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1, said that when calls come in about traffic accidents in San Benito his dispatchers have learned that they are often relatively serious due to the rural roadways in much of the county.
The family has set up the memorial account at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust in San Juan Bautista. Those who would like to contribute can make a deposit by going into the bank and asking for Antonio Sanchez Garcia’s memorial account.