Tire Flies Off Truck, Kills Van Passenger
MISSION HILLS
A 26-year-old man was killed Saturday and two other men were injured, one critically, when a big rig’s tire flew into their minivan, police said.
The men were driving south on the Golden State Freeway near Rinaldi Street shortly after 6 a.m. when two right rear tires flew off a northbound 1997 Volvo tractor-trailer, said California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Gonzalez.
One of the tires sailed into the southbound lanes, killing van passenger Jose Medina, a resident of Firebaugh in Fresno County, according to the coroner’s office. The driver of the van, a 43-year-old Madera man, suffered major head injuries and was taken to Providence Holy Cross Hospital. Another passenger sustained minor injuries.
The CHP is investigating, Gonzalez said.
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