Memorial built to honor three killed in Salinas crash

UPDATE 5/15/17 5:50 p.m.:

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has identified the three people killed in a crash in Salinas over the weekend.

Fred Kais, Jr. 33, Sulema Lopez Kais, 33, and Edenita Mata Kais, 61, were killed on Saturday on Espinosa Road. A memorial with crosses, flowers and balloons has been set up at the site of the deadly crash.

Friends said the family was on their way to celebrate Fred and Sulema’s son’s first communion, but they never made it. Their son took another car to get to the party.

“A car was (driving) really fast and he just, he just smashed into the truck,” witness Lorenzo Estrada said. “Big truck. It was a trailer.”

The California Highway Patrol said the BMW was speeding eastbound on Espinosa Road, east of Rodgers Road. A big rig was making a left turn into a driveway ahead of the BMW. They said the BMW hit the brakes and skid until it collided with the rig. The force was so strong, it detached the truck’s trailer, which hit a third vehicle.

“The police came in and closed the area and we can’t get to close but it was really bad,” Estrada said.

The truck driver and people in the third vehicle weren’t hurt.

Friends and family waited at the party for the family that never arrived.

“I kind of was in a daze, I really didn’t believe it was actually him,” family friend Isaac Alcaraz said. “I even said like three times, ‘Fred who?’ ‘Fred, your friend passed away.’ And I was in disbelief because I had just talked to him a couple minutes ago.”

Kais was a familiar face on the Central Coast. He coached youth football and soccer. Parents of the teams have been notified and Alcaraz said they’re all in shock. Tuesday will be a test for them — it’s their first soccer gathering since Fred’s death.

“Something happening so sudden, I just think it hasn’t absorbed in,” Alcaraz said.

Central Coast Black Knights, a football league, will dedicate this weekend’s game to Coach Fred.

A Gofundme account has been set up to help with funeral costs.

Espinosa Road cuts between Castroville and Salinas. Estrada, who has worked off Espinosa Road for more than a decade, said it can be very dangerous. It’s a two-lane road and drivers speed through. He said he’d like to see more patrols in the area.

UPDATE 5/15/17 11:46 a.m.: On Monday, California Highway Patrol continues investigating a deadly crash on Saturday, killing three people on Espinosa Rd. in Salinas between Highway 101 and Highway 183.

A memorial for the three victims has been placed along the side of the road. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims as Fred Mata Jr. Kais, 33, Sulema Lopez Kais, 33, and Edenita Mata Kais, 61.

KION’s Mariana Hicks is learning more about the victims and the moments leading up to the crash.

PREVIOUS STORY: Three people died in a car crash involving several vehicles in Salinas on Saturday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The wreck, which involved at least two cars and a big rig, happened around 1 p.m. on Espinosa Road in between Highway 101 and Highway 183.

According to Officer Oscar Loza with the California Highway Patrol, the driver of a 2008 BMW 335i was speeding eastbound on the road just east of Rodgers Road. A big rig was making a left turn into a private driveway ahead of the BMW. The driver of the BMW hit the brakes and skidded until it collided with the right rear side of the big rig, according to Loza. The force of the impact detached the big rig’s trailer which hit a third vehicle, Loza said.

The driver and two passengers of the BMW had fatal injuries. The occupants of the big rig and third vehicle were uninjured, Loza said.

Both lanes of the road were closed as C.H.P and the coroner’s office investigated.

The names of the victims have not been released yet, but we know that they were a man and woman both age 33 and another woman age 61.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.