Pedro Garcia Velarde Obituary, Death: Man identified in crash that hospitalized teens in Fresno County.
Pedro Garcia Velarde Obituary, Death – The Fresno County Coroner’s Office has identified the man who died in a tragic crash last week in Fresno County as 44-year-old Pedro Garcia Velarde, a resident of Kerman. The crash, which also sent two teenagers to the hospital, occurred on November 22 at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Highway 180 near Grantland Avenue.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Velarde was driving a Kia Optima eastbound on Highway 180 with two 14-year-old passengers at the time of the accident. Meanwhile, a pickup truck driven by 56-year-old Santiago Lopez Lucas, a resident of Fresno, was traveling westbound on the same highway. For reasons that remain under investigation, Lopez’s vehicle crossed over the center line and collided head-on with Velarde’s Kia.
Velarde was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the crash before emergency responders arrived. The two teenagers in his vehicle, both 14-year-olds, were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the pickup truck, Lopez, sustained minor injuries as well and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), DUI causing death, and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Lopez was later released on bond after posting bail, which was set at $97,000. He was released from jail on Sunday following his arrest. The crash and subsequent investigation are ongoing, as CHP continues to probe the circumstances leading up to the collision.
The incident highlights the serious consequences of driving under the influence, as Velarde lost his life and two young passengers were injured due to the alleged actions of Lopez. The community is left to grapple with the tragedy, with law enforcement working to bring clarity to the events that led to this fatal crash.
