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Mom, Son Killed In Head-On Crash In Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) - A head-on crash on Jackson Highway in Sacramento County has claimed the lives of a mother and her child and left an infant in critical condition.

The crash happed around 3 a.m. on Jackson Highway (Highway 16) near Mayhew Road. A CHP spokesperson says an Elk Grove woman and her two children were driving in a Honda Civic eastbound on Jackson Highway, when, for some reason, the woman veered into the westbound lane. That's when their vehicle hit a van head-on.

The mother and her 11-year-old son, who were sitting in the front seats of the car, were killed. The woman's 1-year-old, who was in the backseat, was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center in critical condition.

The Sacramento County Coroner's Office later identified the mother as 31-year-old Renee Villalobos. The boy was identified as 11-year-old James Gerardo Villalobos.

None of the passengers in the Honda were wearing seatbelts or were properly restrained, says the CHP.

"We can figure out what happened, we just need to figure out why," said CHP Ofc. Tommy Riggins. "The damage is totaling...it was a violent impact, as you can see."

The driver of the van was uninjured. That driver was tested for DUI on the side of the road, but the results haven't been announced.

"I heard a big boom. I thought it was the tractors because they're always on the street on Jackson Road. There are always tractors coming by and you can hear them hitting the shocks. All I know is I heard a big boom and everyone was telling me to look out the window and you guys are all out here. And I saw a car out here smashed," said Gino Lane, a nearby resident.

The identities of the people involved in the crash have not been released. CHP are continuing their investigation into the exact cause of the crash.

Jackson Highway was closed for several hours.

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