Last Updated on February 7, 2023 by C-CAR
A head-on crash near Chico killed one-person, seriously injured two others and left the trauma surgeon stuck in traffic that slowed along Highway 32, according to CHP records and broadcast news reports.
The crash occurred just after 3 p.m. on Friday, when CHP believes 27-year-old Miguel Velazquez raced into oncoming traffic on Highway 32.
In the oncoming lane was a 1999 Chevy pickup truck. The driver tried to swerve in an effort to avoid the sports car, but the two vehicles collided.
The crash sent debris exploding across the two-lane stretch of Highway 32 that runs west from Chico to Orland.
A nurse, who was at the scene of the crash, joined efforts to rescue survivors. One person couldn’t be freed from the wreckage until Butte County firefighter arrived
A 22-year-old woman, who was riding in the Acura sports car, died at the scene of the crash. Velazquez and the driver of the pickup truck sustained serious injuries.
Nearby ENLOE Emergency & Trauma Center called in its trauma teams, but a trauma surgeon was among those stuck in traffic caused by the crash, according to CHP records. Records indicate
In the aftermath, CHP’s investigation including inquiring with the Chico Police Department about whether the Acura had been driven recklessly in their nearby jurisdiction prior to the crash.
