Update: Identities released of parties involved in fatal collision 

Update posted April 20, 2022: 

Alcohol was a factor in the collision, says CHP

– The California Highway Patrol has officially released the identities of all parties involved in Sunday’s fatal collision. A total of six people were involved in the collision, 21-year-old Felipe Gonsalez was driving the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban that crashed into the parked Chevrolet Cruze, driven by 47-year-old Berenice Cortez Pineda. Gonsalez sustained minor injuries. Cortez Pineda sustained major injuries.

Traveling in Cortez Pineda’s Cruze were a total of four passengers, 48-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez, who sustained major injuries, 47-year-old Celene Reducindo, who died as a result of the collision, 3-year-old Mia Peralta, who sustained major injuries, and 54-year-old Maria Hernandez, who died as a result of the collision. All parties involved in the collision were residents of Santa Maria.

CHP confirmed that alcohol was a factor in the collision.

Original story posted April 18, 2022:

Image from video shared by Jason Brock to SLO CO News group on Facebook.

Two fatalities reported in accident on Highway 101 in North County

– A man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly causing a vehicle collision that killed two people, according to multiple reports.

Berenice Cortez Pineda, 47, was reportedly driving a Chevrolet Cruze with five passengers northbound on Highway 101 when she made her way to an asphalt shoulder before coming to a stop just south of the Santa Barbara Road off-ramp. Felipe Gonzalez, a 21-year-old from Santa Maria, was driving a Chevrolet Suburban northbound on Highway 101 at speeds over 65 mph when he lost control of the vehicle and struck the rear of the parked Cruze, sending it forward about 120 feet, reports say.

The driver and front-seat passenger of the Cruze reportedly sustained major injuries and were transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. Two of the three other passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle were reportedly killed in the crash, one of whom was not wearing a seat belt. They have been identified as Celene Reducindo, 47, and Maria Hernandez, 54. A three-year-old child was among the injured, according to reports. The child was transported to Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera.

Gonzalez reportedly sustained minor injuries and was arrested at the scene of the collision. Reports say that alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Details have not yet been released as to the total number of people hurt nor the extent of their injuries.

No further details are available at this time. The crash is under investigation.

About the author: News Staff

News staff of the A-Town Daily News wrote and edited this article from local contributors and press releases. Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Connect with him on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, or follow his blog. He can be reached at scott@accesspublishing.com.