The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office has identified a Madera
man who was killed Saturday in a head-on crash on Highway 152.
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office has identified a Madera man who was killed Saturday in a head-on crash on Highway 152.
Andy Orozco, 20, was killed in the accident just east of the intersection of Highway 152 and Bloomfield Road. Orozco’s name was not released until this morning because the coroner’s office could not notify his next of kin before Monday night.
The 6:43 a.m. accident happened when Orozco was westbound on Pacheco Pass Highway in a 1987 Chevrolet Camaro, the California Highway Patrol said.
As Orozco approached the Bloomfield Road intersection, he pulled into the eastbound lane to pass a car ahead of him, the CHP said.
When Orozco entered the opposing lane, he pulled directly in front of an eastbound 2001 Chevrolet pick-up driven by Theodore Blanco, 62, of Sunnyvale, the CHP said.
Crash investigators said Blanco could not stop in time to avoid the accident and struck Orozco’s vehicle head-on.
Orozco was pronounced dead at the scene.
Blanco sustained a fractured hip and other injuries and was taken by helicopter to San Jose Medical Center, the CHP said.
In an unrelated accident, a San Benito County Sheriff’s deputy sustained minor injuries in an accident Sunday afternoon on Highway 156 just west of Fairview Road, the CHP said.
The accident happened when deputy Adam Lobdel, 31, was westbound in a Ford Crown Victoria sheriff’s patrol unit on Highway 156 approaching the Fairview Road intersection.
When Lobdel reportedly saw a violation occur behind him he pulled off the highway, waited for traffic to pass and then attempted to make a U-turn, the CHP said.
As Lobdel started to cross the westbound lane, a Nissan Sentra driven by Jesus Vasquez, 26, of Chowchilla reportedly did not see the patrol car until the last moment and struck the side of the vehicle, the CHP said.
Lobdel was reportedly taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and later released, the CHP said.
Both accidents are under investigation.
