Fatal Crash Kills an 18-Year-Old Man and Injures Enrique Figueroa Lopez

California Highway Patrol reported a fiery collision on Monday morning, August 16th that killed one person. 

The crash happened at about 3:25 a.m. on Highway 33 at N Douglas Avenue and was the result of wrong-way driving. 

A tomato truck heading north, driven by Enrique Figueroa Lopez, 50, reportedly collided head-on with a southbound 2012 Hyundai Veloster that was driven by an 18-year-old man.  

According to authorities, the Hyundai was on the wrong side of the road.

The Hyundai immediately caught fire thus trapping the 18-year-old inside. The roadway was scattered with tomatoes as a result. 

Both vehicles were removed from tow trucks. 

Lopez sustained minor injuries, including back and neck pain. The driver of the Hyundai, however, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has yet to be disclosed. 

According to statistics, car fires caused by a crash are actually not as common as you may think. In 2015, only 3% of car fires were caused by a car accident. However, 58% of those resulted in at least one fatality. 

Crashes involving wrong-way driving account for only 3% of motor vehicle accidents, however, they usually have a higher fatality rate. This is because they are often head-on collisions. A study in Virginia concluded that those accidents which include wrong-way driving are twenty-seven times more likely to end in a fatality compared to other types of accidents.