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Nine people — including seven who were described by the authorities as juveniles — were killed in a fiery head-on crash between an S.U.V. and a pickup truck in Fresno County, Calif., on Friday, the California Highway Patrol said.
The authorities have not released the names of the victims, and the Highway Patrol said it was working with the Fresno County Coroner’s Office to determine whether alcohol or drugs might have played a role in the crash.
The collision happened at about 8 p.m. local time on State Route 33, near the Fresno County-Kings County line, when the S.U.V., a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by a 28-year-old man from Avenal, Calif., was traveling southbound at an unknown speed, the Highway Patrol said.
As the driver approached a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck carrying eight people that was traveling in the opposite direction, he veered onto the dirt shoulder, lost control and traveled back across the center line, slamming head-on into the pickup, the Highway Patrol said.
The pickup “became fully engulfed in flames,” and all eight occupants were killed, including seven people who “appeared to be juveniles,” Capt. Kevin Clays of the California Highway Patrol said at a news conference.
The driver of the S.U.V. was also killed, he said.
It was not immediately clear if the seven young victims were children or teenagers. Captain Clays said the authorities were working to determine the victims’ ages.
The pickup was equipped with only six seatbelts, Captain Clays said.
He noted that when people are not buckled up, the chances that they will suffer serious injuries in a crash are “far greater.” He said the officers who responded to the collision had been offered counseling.
“It’s tragic for the community,” he said. “It’s tragic for our officers that respond to these incidents.”
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