18-year-old Marina resident dies after car gets pinned under harvesting machine
SALINAS, Calif. (KION)--A teenager is dead following an accident on Monday night.
Officers say around 11:00 p.m. a Nissan Sentra was driving on Espinosa Road west of Christensen Road at a high rate of speed, in extremely foggy conditions and low visibility.
A Freightliner was pulling a lettuce harvesting machine, entering Espinosa Road from a private driveway on the north side of the roadway, heading east. The tractor was within the eastbound lane of Espinosa Road and the harvesting machine was across both lanes when the Nissan Sentra approached.
Officers say as a result, the front of the Nissan Sentra went underneath the harvester, causing major damage to the windshield, tearing the roof back and becoming lodged beneath the lower frame rail of the harvester. The driver of the Nissan Sentra was an 18-year-old resident from Marina and pronounced dead on scene.
The Monterey County Coroner's office will release the name of the victim once the next of kin has been notified. Alcohol and or drugs are not expected to be a factor in this collision and it is still under investigation.
The California Highway Patrol is taking this time to remind the public regardless of weather conditions, many crashes result from driving too fast and ask drivers to slow down.
