Highway 99 fatal motorcycle accident

John Lane of Bakersfield was killed in a motorcycle accident on Highway 99 in Tulare County. Reportedly Lane was riding north on Highway 99 near Avenue 384 when his Harley Davidson drifted into the median. The motorcycle then hit the guardrail. Lane was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

June 24 Tulare big rig accident

On June 24 Anthony Hoffert of Chino was seriously injured after his vehicle was hit by an 18-wheeler driven by Aaron Albrecht of Fresno. Reportedly Hoffert reached the intersection of Avenue 368 and Road 80 in north Tulare and stopped. He then proceeded into the intersection right into the path of the 18-wheeler. Albrecht applied his brakes and attempted to swerve, but his trailer hit Hoffert's car on the driver's side. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. Albrecht managed to escape uninjured, but Hoffert was not as fortunate. Hoffert was taken to Tulare Regional Medical Center to be treated for major injuries.

June 26 Tulare County accident

On June 26 there was an accident on Avenue 416 in Tulare County that left one man seriously injured. Reportedly Jose Caloca was driving east on Avenue 416 near Eddy Road when he lost control of his pickup truck. The truck then went across the westbound lanes and hit a light pole. Caloca suffered an injury to his left thigh bone as well as facial cuts. He was air lifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno for treatment.

June 25 fatal accident near Porterville

On June 25 Evani Reyes-Morales was killed in an accident on Avenue 95 near Road 224 near Porterville in Tulare County. Reportedly Reyes-Morales crashed his Mitsubishi Eclipse into a tree in an olive grove. There were five passengers in the Eclipse at the time and all five escaped uninjured. The exact cause of the accident is unknown at this time.

June 5 Tulare County accident near Exeter injures 5

On June 5 five people were injured in an accident at the intersection of Visalia and Anderson Roads near Exeter in Tulare County. According to reports Duane Deeds was westbound on Visalia Road in his Chevy pickup as he approached the Anderson Road intersection. Deeds began to slow down as he approached the stop sign at the intersection. All the while, Kimberly Sanchez was behind Deeds in her Buick Park Avenue and was “attending to her iced tea drink that kept falling over” when she did not notice him slowing down and hit the back of Deed’s vehicle at approximately 40 mph. Sanchez and her passenger, 17-year-old Jennifer Robinson, suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center for treatment. Deeds also suffered moderate injuries. The passengers in Deeds’ vehicle, Regina Deeds and Noah Reeds, suffered minor injuries and were also treated at Kaweah Delta.

June 5 Highway 63 wrongful death pedestrian accident

On June 5 a man died after being hit by a car on Highway 63 near Avenue 336 near Visalia. According to reports Jose Luis Garcia was southbound on Highway 63 when a man crossed in front of his vehicle. Apparently the man was attempting to cross the highway in the rain just north of Avenue 336. Garcia was unable to stop his ca in time. The pedestrian was died at the scene of the accident.

June 5 rollover in Tulare County impales the leg of a teen

On June 5 Brianne Rodriguez’s leg was seriously injured when she was in a car that was involved in a rollover accident on Avenue 184 near Road 220 in Tulare County. According to reports Rodriguez was a passenger in a Toyota Tacoma driven by 18-year-old Alejandro Sepeda when Sepeda swerved his truck to avoid hitting a dog. The truck then rolled, went down an embankment, and landed on a tree. Subsequently, the tree broke through the back window of the truck and a branch impaled Rodriguez’s leg. Rodriguez was treated at Kaweah Delta Medical center in Visalia. Sepeda suffered minor injuries and was also treated at Kaweah Delta. Brittany Rodriguez and Priscilla Chavez were also riding as passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. They came away with minor and moderate injuries respectively.

June 5 accident in Porterville leaves four injured

On June 5 four people were injured in a crash on Henderson Avenue in Porterville. According to reports Pablo Alvarez was westbound on Henderson Avenue when he failed to stop at a red light at the Newcomb Street intersection. Alvarez’s car then hit the vehicle driven by Zeina Rocha. Alvarez and Rocha along with their respective passengers Jorge Martinez and Christian Reyes were taken to Sierra View District Hospital where they were treated for injuries. Alvarez, Rocha, and Reyes then were all transferred to hospitals in Fresno with serious injuries. Martinez was treated and released from Sierra View District Hospital. Alvarez was believed to be driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

June 6 fatal train accident in Goshen

On June 6 a woman died after her car was hit by a train on Road 60 in Goshen in Tulare County. According to reports the woman was driving her Honda Accord southbound on Road 60 just north of Avenue 308 when she apparently did not see the oncoming train. Her car was hit on the passenger side and was pushed about 100 yards. Unfortunately, neither the driver nor her 6-year-old daughter were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. The woman was pinned in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.The 6-year-old, however, survived and was treated for moderate injuries at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.

May 25 Tulare County power pole accident

On May 25 Carlos Carrazco was seriously injured in an accident involving a power pole in Tulare County. Reportedly Carrazco, a Woodville resident, hit the pole near the intersection of Avenue 168 and Road 144. The impact of the crash appears to have been very hard. It is unclear why Carrazco drifted off the road as neither drugs or alcohol appear to have been a factor. Carrazco was airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

March 31 wrongful death accident at Akers and Caldwell in Visalia leads to murder charges

On March 31 Ruben and Gloria Mendoza, along with their 17-year-old son Ruben Mendoza Jr. were killed when their vehicle was broadsided by an SUV driven by Erick Head. Reportedly Head was evading a police officer who was attempting to pull him over on Highway 99 near Avenue 280 in Visalia. Head exited with his flat-bed trailer at Caldwell Avenue and sped along until hitting the Mendoza's vehicle at the Akers intersection. A third vehicle was also hit, resulting in minor injuries. Head tried to run away from the scene of the accident on foot. Head's passenger, Christina Garcia, was ejected from the vehicle, was treated for mild to moderate injuries at Kaweah Delta Medical Center, and was not charged with a crime. Head, however, was given several criminal charges including three accounts of first-degree murder.

April 20 Highway 198 accident in Visalia

 On April 20 there was a single-vehicle accident on Highway 198 near Ben Maddox in Visalia. Reportedly the vehicle overturned and traffic was backed up for several miles. Emergency crews were sent to the scene of the accident but no further details regarding the cause of the accident or possible injuries are available at this time.

April 13 pedestrian accident in Visalia

On April 13 a man was hit by a car while he tried to cross North Court Street on the Lincoln Oval in Visalia. Reportedly the man was hit by a Ford Mustang while crossing the street. The victim refused medical treatment and said this was not the first time he had been hit by a car and he would be fine. No further information is available at this time.

March 29 Visalia accident at McAuliff and College Avenues

On March 29 a woman suffered major injuries when her vehicle hit a stationary SUV on McAuliff Avenue near College Avenue in Visalia. According to reports the woman hit the SUV while it was waiting to turn left on McAuliff. The impact of the accident pushed the SUV about 40 yards. The driver and two passengers in the SUV escaped the accident uninjured. The driver of the Hyundai was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia to be treated for her injuries.

March 28 Los Banos accident kills Visalia woman

On March 28 Andrea Hernandez of Visalia died in a hit and run accident near Los Banos on Highway 152. According to reports Hernandez was driving east on Highway 152 in the slow lane when a vehicle in the fast lane began to pass her. Then the other vehicle crossed into the slow lane forcing Hernandez off the road. Hernandez went off the road, over-corrected her vehicle, and hit a power pole. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the other vehicle left the scene of the accident. Police have found a possible suspect in the wrongful death accident but have not made any arrests yet.

March 26 fatal accident in Tulare County near Dinuba

On March 26 Carmen Tovar died in a fatal accident near Dinuba in Tulare County. According to reports Tovar was driving a Honda west on Avenue 416 near Road 104 in Tulare County when she moved into the lane to the right of her and hit a Nissan. Both the Honda and the Nissan went off the road and each hit a tree. Tovar suffered fatal injuries in the accident. The passenger in her vehicle, Jessica Gutierrez, suffered minor injuries. Eliseo Pena was the driver of the Nissan. Pena and his passenger refused medical treatment.

March 1 accident at Lincoln Oval Park in Visalia claims one life

The accident that happened in March 1 near Lincoln Oval Park in Visalia has claimed the life of Alice Davison. Reportedly Davison was driving east on Pearl Street near Lincoln Oval Park when she probably failed to stop completely at the stop sign on Pearl at N.W. Second Avenue. Her car was then hit by a Nissan Altima and a Dodge Durango in the intersection. The drivers of the Altima and Durango were taken to Kaweah Delta Medical center in Visalia to be treated for injuries. Davison was taken to Kaweah Delta and then transferred to Community Regional Medical Center in Visalia. She suffered a shattered pelvis, punctured lung, broken shoulder, and brain damage. She was in a coma for two weeks before she died. Neighbors who live near Lincoln Oval Park say that intersection is dangerous as people often speed through there from Dinuba Boulevard headed to downtown Visalia. Residents are saying a traffic signal is necessary at that intersection.

March 6 Strathmore head-on collision

On March 6 there was an accident on Road 224 near Avenue 176 near Strathmore in Tulare County. The accident seriously injured one person and moderately injured two others. According to reports Antonio Pezzi and Megan Wiechmann of Sacramento were driving north on Road 224 when Pezzi saw an animal in the road. He then swerved right to avoid hitting the animal and swerved back onto the road and into the southbound lane. Then the vehicle Pezzi was driving hit a Honda driven by Abdur Razaq of Porterville. Razaq was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was treated for major injuries. Ghulum Mustafa was a passenger in Razaq's vehicle. Mustafa and Pezzi both suffered moderate injuries. Wiechmann escaped uninjured.

March 7 fatal accident in Tulare County

On March 7 a woman from Goshen was killed in a fatal accident on Highway 63 between Avenues 336 and 328 in Tulare County. According to reports the woman was driving north on Highway 63 when her Honda Civic drifted into the southbound lane. Her Honda then hit an Infinity G20 in a head-on collision. The driver of the Infinity suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. The driver of the Honda, however, died in the accident.

March 1 accident at Lincoln Oval Park in Visalia injures three

On March 1 Alice Davison was put in critical condition and two other people were injured in a three-vehicle colision at Pearl Street and N.W. Second Avenue on the Oval in Visalia. Reportedly Davison was eastbound on Pearl Street when she possibly failed to stop completely at the stop sign at Pearl and N.W. Second Avenue. She was then hit by two vehicles which were southbound on N.W. Second Avenue, a Dodge Durango and a Nissan Altima.  Davison suffered a shattered pelvis and was transferred from Kaweah Delta Medical Center to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. Jason Medina was the driver of the Durango. His young daughter in the vehicle was not injured, but he was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries. The driver of the Altima was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center as a precaution. Witnesses to the accident said the intersection is dangerous and needs to be fixed.