Man, 3 Children Saved From Deadly Crash On Highway 4 West Of Stockton
DISCOVERY BAY (CBS13) — A good Samaritan saved three children and an adult from a van after a fatal crash on Highway 4.
The stretch of road in the Delta can be dangerous, even in the daytime.
On Sunday night, a family of six heading to the East Bay in their Dodge van didn't make it home. Right before the bridge leading into Contra Costa County, a Chevy pickup hit them head-on, sending the van into the canal below Highway 4.
Parents Roberto Bolanos and Maria Mendoza-Garcia died at the scene.
"A good Samaritan was passing by and stopped and extricated the four rear passengers out of the vehicle," said California Highway Patrol officer Khalid Rashid.
The survivors, a 24-year-old man and the couple's three children, were taken to Tracy's Sutter Hospital with only minor injuries. The truck driver was taken to San Joaquin County Hospital with major injuries.
"We don't call them accidents. We call them collisions, because always usually occurs from someone doing something they weren't supposed to be doing," Rashid said.
Locals say Highway 4 is a very unforgiving road, but more often than not, they see drivers breaking the rules.
Regulars at Yong's Bar and Grill off of Highway 4 say they've seen a lot of cars in the Delta over the years. With low visibility and nothing stopping you, it's possible to go off the road.
The CHP says it doesn't respond to more collisions in the area, but that it's a road that requires more focus.
No charges have been filed against the truck driver.
