One person has died following a head-on collision that caused a pickup truck to plunge into the Salinas River. This tragic incident was reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) around 2:07 PM on Monte Road, just north of Neponset Road.
According to the CHP, a red pickup truck was traveling north while a white international pickup truck was heading south. The situation escalated when the red pickup veered into the southbound lane, crashing into the white pickup. After the collision, the red pickup truck continued to move northwest, impacting the side of the guardrail.
As a result of the crash, the red pickup truck fell off the bridge, landing on its roof in the Salinas River below. Tragically, the driver of the red pickup truck was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has been identified as a 32-year-old man from Lockwood.
Miraculously, the driver of the white pickup sustained only minor injuries and managed to walk away from the wreck. In the aftermath of the incident, the roadway was closed in both directions as authorities conducted their investigation.
As noted by the CHP, this incident serves as a crucial reminder for all drivers to practice defensive driving techniques. The CHP emphasized that even if you are obeying traffic rules, itโs important to stay vigilant, as other drivers may not be as cautiousโhighlighting that it only takes a split second for a devastating accident to occur.