The 2006 Dodge Charger involved in Thursday's accident on Highway 152 is shown. Authorities today released identities of the victims, including the man who died.
The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office has released the identity of the Turlock man killed in Thursday's accident on Highway 152, while a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman noted how the involved big-rig driver had been making an illegal U-turn as the car with the victims approached at a high rate of speed.
The man killed was Simardeep Bhatia, 18, according to the coroner's office. Earlier today, the CHP released identities of a man and woman who have survived the accident. The female driver of the 2006 Dodge Charger that slammed through a big-rig's trailer was Gurvinder Chamal, 19, of Ceres, while the other passenger was Jasbir Singh, 18, of Hughson, said Matt Peters with the Hollister-Gilroy office of the CHP. Both remained in critical condition at Regional Medical Center of San Jose as of this morning, he said.
Bhatia's sister spoke briefly today about the accident.
"I just really miss him," Rinku Bhatia said. "I can't believe that it happened. He was really a nice person. He was really friendly to everyone, and we love him a lot. And we just want everybody to pray for us."
The accident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. near the Highways 152-156 intersection. CHP spokeswoman Erica Elias noted today how the semi-truck driver, 57-year-old David Jones of Hayward, while attempting an illegal U-turn entered the dirt median with the vehicle's front end as the trailer blocked the westbound lanes. The driver of the Charger while going at a "high rate of speed" did not react quickly enough to avoid it and the car "collided into and drove underneath the semi-trailer," she said.
Elias noted how the car's roof "was completely sheared off." She said Calfire pronounced Bhatia dead upon arrival.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance and Pinnacle. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
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