The rural Stanislaus County tragedy killed four persons Friday.
Cal Highway Patrol reported the incident occurred at 5 p.m. near Bonds Flat Road and La Grange Road.
At 100 mph, 56-year-old Stockton resident Michael Keith jumped the double yellow centerline to overtake another car on Bonds Flat Road, according to CHP.
A 45-mph southbound Toyota Highlander hit him head-on on Bonds Flat Road.
Both cars’ occupants died at the site.
A typical mountain road, Bonds Flat Road. Because of its curvatures, high-speed cars are rare in this area “CHP spokesperson Officer Steve Machado remarked.
Machado stressed preparedness.
“The choices that motorists make while they’re travelling on the road, it doesn’t always directly affect them, it affects everyone else… there’s a reason why there’s double yellow lines there, and it’s to prevent traffic from crashing into each other,” Machado added.
They were 56-year-old Michael Keith of Stockton, 66-year-old Donna Yarnal of Modesto, 65-year-old Cindi Schuchterman of Salida (all in Keith’s pickup truck), and 33-year-old Janelle Hall of La Grange, the Highlander driver.
During the incident, CHP reports all four were wearing seatbelts. Unknown if drugs or alcohol caused crash.