Modesto driver hurt, Chowchilla passenger killed in Briggsmore crash

A Chowchilla woman died from injuries suffered in a crash Sunday night on East Briggsmore Avenue.

Nichole Martinez, 36, was a passenger in a Chevy Corvette driven by Modesto resident Kaleb Isley, 35, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves.

About 10 p.m., Isley was westbound, approaching Coffee Road, and stopped at the red light there. A friend pulled up next to him, Graves said, and when the light turned green, Isley took off, lost control of his car and struck a tree. Speed was a factor in the crash, she said, but alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been.

Isley suffered head injuries that were not life-threatening, Graves said. Martinez was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

Police are “definitely looking into the possibility” that the crash involved racing, Graves said.

Isley’s friend driving the other car stayed at the scene and cooperated with officers, she said. There were several other witnesses to the crash, as well.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Modesto driver hurt, Chowchilla passenger killed in Briggsmore crash."