Marina man and Salinas man identified as the two killed in Blanco Road wrong-way crash
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- At least two are dead after a deadly crash just outside Salinas late Tuesday night. CHP said that it happened around 11:53 p.m. on Blanco Road and Hitchcock Road.
Authorities arrived on the scene to find two vehicles with heavy damage and one of them, a 2021 silver Honda Civic, was stuck in a ditch. CHP said that a head-on crash resulted in the death of both drivers.
The driver of a 2001 Chrysler Sebring was going east on Blanco Road and for an unknown reason began driving the wrong way in the westbound lane, said CHP. That's when the two vehicles crashed.
The 2001 Chrysler had a single occupant a 30-year-old man from Marina. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office identified him as Edgar Guzman-Tenangueno.
The Honda Civic had two 21-year-olds from Salinas, a man and a woman. The male driver who was killed in the crash was identified by deputies as Jose Mendoza-Menjivar. The female passenger was taken to Natividad Medical Center for moderate injuries.
CHP is still investigating the cause of the crash. They are unsure if drugs or alcohol played a part.
"The California Highway Patrol would like to remind you one way to avoid a wrong-way driver is to maintain a high visual horizon while scanning the lanes to anticipate hazards or oncoming vehicles ahead of you. If you see a hazard or wrong-way driver, use extreme caution and take the necessary evasive action."
