Two men killed when SUV goes off I-5, down 90-foot embankment south of Patterson

Two residents of Santa Nella were killed Wednesday afternoon when the driver lost control and their Lincoln Navigator SUV went down a 90-foot embankment off Interstate 5 south of Patterson.

The California Highway Patrol reported the single-vehicle crash occurred about 4:15 p.m. on southbound I-5 north of Oak Flat Road. Officers arrived to find the vehicle on its side at the bottom of the embankment. The 43-year-old male driver had been ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 65-year-old man, was in the right front passenger seat and also was pronounced dead.

Thursday afternoon, the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office reported that the younger man is Roberto Lugo Ruiz, and identified his passenger as Jose Lugo Tovar.

The CHP’s preliminary investigation determined the SUV was traveling at an unknown speed in the right lane when Ruiz drifted, allowing the front and rear tires to go over a raised asphalt curb. He abruptly braked and steered left, partially into the lane, but lost control.

He steered right again, and the Navigator went across the asphalt shoulder, over the curb and down the embankment. The SUV rolled as it descended, ejecting Ruiz though he was wearing his seat belt, the CHP found.

The investigation has not yet determined whether alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash.

This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 7:01 AM.