A Shafter man driving a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado eastbound on Lerdo Highway lost control of the truck, which left the roadway, rolled over and ejected him and his passenger, killing them both. The crash happened west of Scaroni Avenue near Shafter, and both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The California Highway Patrol responded to the report of the solo-vehicle crash on Saturday, October 24, according to KBAK. A preliminary CHP investigation found that the driver allowed the Silverado to leave the roadway along its north edge, causing him to lose control of the truck before it overturned.
The Chevrolet came to rest north of Lerdo Highway, west of Scaroni Avenue, after the rollover ejected both the driver and the passenger, who was also identified by the CHP as a Shafter man. The agency said neither man was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and alcohol or drugs remained under investigation as possible contributing factors. What exactly caused the driver to lose control remains under investigation, the CHP said.
A Second Fatal Crash Reported on the Same Stretch
Separately, the Shafter Police Department has said it is investigating a fatal one-vehicle crash on East Lerdo Highway, reported at about 10:42 p.m. on a Wednesday between North Driver and Zerker roads, according to KGET. Police told the station it remains unknown what caused that crash. It is not established whether that incident is the same crash reported by the CHP near Scaroni Avenue or a separate one, and the two accounts have not been reconciled.
Lerdo Highway has seen other deadly single-vehicle wrecks in the past. In April, the Kern County Coroner's Office identified Tabass Zebadee Grandison-Mendoza, 51, of Shafter, as the driver killed when his vehicle veered off East Lerdo Highway near North Cherry Avenue and struck a tree at about 2 a.m. on a Friday, KGET reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries, the coroner's office said at the time.
Investigation Continues
No cause has been confirmed for why the Silverado left the roadway before this week's rollover, and the CHP has not released further details as its investigation continues. Officials have not said whether additional information, such as a coroner's report or case number, will be released as the inquiry proceeds.
