Lindsay teen dies in crash

THE RECORDER
LINDSAY — The teenage driver that died when her car was hit by a big-rig has been identified as Ashley Lopez of Lindsay, the California Highway Patrol reported Saturday.

The fatal collision between the truck carrying oranges and the 1999 Volkswagon Passat Lopez was driving happened at 12:50 p.m. Friday at the corner of Avenue 224 just east of Road 196.

Lopez was heading south on Avenue 224 and attempted a left turn onto Road 196 when the truck driven by Protacio Tapia, 39, of Porterville was heading north on Road 196 and struck the Passat on the driver’s side.

Two passengers in the Passat were hospitalized with what CHP officers described as major injuries. Luis Ochoa, 20, of Lindsay was airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno while the other unidentified male passenger was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center.
Tapia was uninjured.