O’Neals – August 6, 2020, at approximately 4:26 a.m. the California Highway Patrol (CHP) received a call of a rollover collision which occurred on SR-41 north of Road 406, also known as the rocky cut area. Officers from the Madera Area CHP and medical personnel responded to the scene.
The initial investigation determined that a 27 year old male from Fresno was driving a 2004 Dodge Durango southbound on SR-41 at an unknown speed and for an undetermined reason the driver of the Dodge was unable to maintain his lane, The vehicle crossed into the northbound lane where it overturned and collided with a 2007 Nissan Altima. The Nissan driven by Rene Valdez of Fresno, was travelling northbound at an approximate speed of 45 mile per hour.
As a result of the collision the driver of the Dodge sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Dodge Durango’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The two passengers in the Dodge suffered no injuries. Valdez, the driver of the Nissan suffered major injuries and was transported by ambulance to Madera Community Hospital for treatment.
SR-41 was blocked for approximately 2 hours for investigation and clean up.
Alcohol and or drugs do not appear to have been a contributing factor in this collision.
