Driver arrested, passenger dead in wreck east of Oakdale on Highway 108
The passenger of a Ceres woman suspected of DUI was ejected during a four-vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Highway 108-120 east of Oakdale and died at the scene, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office has identified the man as Armando Morones, 25, of Empire.
The Ceres driver, Erica Linja, 36, was airlifted from the scene by Calstar helicopter to Memorial Medical Center for treatment of major injuries. She also has been placed under arrest by the CHP on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of alcohol and vehicular manslaughter, Officer Thomas Olsen said. He did not immediately know if Linja’s injuries were life-threatening.
A second driver suffered minor injuries in the crash, the CHP said, and two other drivers were uninjured.
The crash, about a quarter mile east of the Lancaster Road intersection, was reported at 5:20 a.m.
Linja was driving east in a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban when she crossed the double yellow lines on the highway to pass slower-moving traffic, Olsen said.
As she passed a 2009 Freightliner semi that was pulling no trailer, its driver, 35-year-old Jorge Moreno of Planada, veered toward the shoulder a bit, witnesses said.
Entering the westbound traffic lane, Linja’s SUV sideswiped a 2001 Honda Civic, driven by Antonio Cardenas, 54, of Turlock, Olsen said. Cardenas was unhurt.
Continuing east, Linja lost control, the officer said, and struck head-on a 2014 Ford F-450 utility truck owned by Mozingo Construction of Oakdale. Its driver, 52-year-old Jeffery Serrano of Sonora, suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.
After the Suburban hit the Ford work truck, Moreno was unable to avoid colliding with the SUV. Moreno was unhurt, Olsen said.
A long line of westbound traffic on Highway 108 was at a standstill as CHP officers investigated the scene before the Coroner’s Office removed the body and tow truck operators cleared the wreckage.
Eastbound traffic was being turned around at Lancaster.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 7:02 AM.
