Authorities have identified the two Sonora residents killed in the Tuesday afternoon accident near Hollister that involved two cars and a big rig.
Wolfgang Eugene Krismanits, 60, and Ladonn Ann Krismanits, 51, were killed in the wreck at around 3:20 p.m. Tuesday at San Felipe Road and Highway 156. The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, which acts as the coroner, confirmed their identities Wednesday.
Wolfgang Krismanits, the driver of a 2002 Mercury Sable, was found deceased at the scene of the accident. His wife, the only passenger in the car, was transported to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Erica Elias.
Ladonn Krismanits would have turned 52 on Friday.
Wolfgang Krismanits was an Anglican priest at the historic Red Church (St. James Angelican) in Sonora, according to the church website.
The driver of the other car, 24-year-old Rudy Lopez of Morgan Hill, sustained major injuries and was flown to Regional Medical Center of San Jose. His status remains unclear.
The tractor trailer driver, 42-year-old Rosario Medina of Salinas, did not sustain injuries.
The CHP reported that the accident occurred when Lopez, in a 2000 Nissan Ultima, was northbound on San Felipe Road and drove through a red-light intersection. The car collided with the Sable that was eastbound on Highway 156. The Sable then traveled into the westbound lane, according to the CHP.
The westbound truck driver slammed on the brakes as it drove around the curve there, but struck the Sable on its driver’s side.
