One person was killed and three others injured Monday morning in a four-vehicle collision that shut down Highway 16 near Madison for hours.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at about 6:40 a.m. when the driver of a westbound Pontiac Grand Prix, 25-year-old Danny R. Vidrio of Woodland, drifted out of its lane near County Road 93 and sideswiped an eastbound big-rig.
The impact caused the big-rig driver to lose control of his vehicle, which was hit by a Honda Accord, then swerved into the opposing lane and struck a Ford truck. Both the big-rig and the truck veered off the road at that point, shearing a power pole off its base in the process, CHP Officer Pedro Leon said.
Woodland resident Benito Fuentes, 62, who had been driving the Ford truck, was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s believed he died in the initial collision with the big-rig, according to the CHP.
The Accord’s driver, 23-year-old Briana Santana of Woodland, suffered major injuries in the crash, while Vidrio and the big-rig driver reported moderate injuries.
Highway 16 was shut down at Interstate 505 during the investigation. One-way traffic controls remained in effect until after 3 p.m. while crews continued to clear the crash scene, according to the CHP.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene