Armando Beltran, 54, was recognized as the deceased. He was from Turlock. The person driving the vehicle that was traveling the wrong way on Highway 99 and killed in a violent head-on collision has been determined to be a resident of Turlock. The force of the impact caused the automobile to turn in a southerly direction. The California Highway Patrol reports that she rolled onto the right side and caught fire after the accident. Beltran was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash happened at 3:18 a.m. Tuesday morning on the northbound lanes of Interstate 99 near Lander Avenue. When the head-on collision occurred, Beltran was driving a white sedan southbound in a northbound lane at an unknown speed. The other vehicle, a Tesla Model Y, was traveling north at about 70 miles per hour when it collided with Beltran’s vehicle.
The Tesla came to rest facing west in two lanes going in the opposite direction, heading north. It appeared that the front part had been badly damaged. Thomas Guerrero, 37, of Escalon, was driving the Tesla when it was involved in the collision. He suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Emanuel Medical Center. A 6-year-old Tesla passenger was sent to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera with moderate injuries. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the California Highway Patrol strongly suspects that alcohol played a role in the crash.
