Modesto police seek witnesses to early morning fatal crash

The Modesto Police Department is seeking witnesses to an early morning crash that killed a 26-year-old woman.

Police said Leticia Varela of Modesto was the lone occupant of the vehicle, which hit a residence in the 200 block of South Emerald Avenue at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

When officers arrived on scene, Varela was found unconscious inside a 2007 Honda Accord, police said. She was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive.

The preliminary investigation indicates Varela was driving alone, southbound on South Emerald from Maze Boulevard, when she lost control of her car and struck a parked van, police said.

Varela’s car struck two additional parked cars before coming to rest against a residential garage. Officers believe speed was a factor in the crash.

As a standard procedure in a fatal vehicle collision, the Modesto Police Department Traffic Unit has initiated a comprehensive crash investigation and encourages anyone with information to call Officer Daniel Phillips at 209-652-5640.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Modesto police seek witnesses to early morning fatal crash."