On August 7, 2018, at approximately 1920 hours, the Merced Communications Center received a call of a traffic collision between two vehicles on Patterson Road west of Langworth Road. Officers from the California Highway Patrol Modesto Area Office were dispatched to the scene.
The initial investigation found that the driver of a 2000 Toyota was driving westbound on Patterson Road, west of Langworth Road, in the westbound lane, at approximately 40-45 miles per hour. Marisela Wilkinson was driving a Dodge eastbound on Patterson Road, west of Langworth Road, in the eastbound lane, at approximately 45 miles per hour towards the Toyota. As the two vehicles neared each other, The driver of the Toyota for unknown reasons crossed into the eastbound lane. The driver of the Toyota turned her vehicle to the right and re-entered the westbound lane. Then suddenly, for reasons still under investigation, the Toyota turned abruptly to the left and re-entered the eastbound lane, directly into the path of the Dodge. Ms. Wilkinson was unable to react, and the front of the Dodge collided head-on with the front of the Toyota. This impact caused the Toyota to be pushed in a southeasterly direction, off of the road. The Toyota continued to travel backwards, in a southeasterly direction, into a ditch that was full of cattle waste runoff. As the Toyota entered the ditch, it rolled over onto its driver side, submerging the left side of the Toyota. Witnesses arrived on scene and attempted to rescue the occupants of the Toyota. Due to the extent of damage to the Toyota, and its location, they were unable to do so. Fire and ambulance personnel arrived on scene and pronounced both of the occupants of the Toyota deceased. The driver and all of the passengers in the Dodge were transported by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center, in Modesto, for non-life threatening injuries. All of the occupants, in both vehicles, were wearing their seat belts.
It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a contributing factor in this collision.