Porterville woman dies in crash

Two people are dead in two separate traffic collisions Saturday morning.

A 60-year-old Porterville woman was killed when the car in which she was a passenger collided with a semi-truck south of Hanford.

In another crash, a 69-year-old Earlimart man died when the Toyota he was driving collided with a 1998 Ford at Avenue 48 and Road 168 near Earlimart.

The Porterville woman was riding with Alexandro C. Urbano, 22, of Porterville at 9:23 a.m. Saturday when the crash occurred. The California Highway Patrol reports Urbano was westbound on Avenue 144 approaching Highway 43. The CHP said Urbano failed to stop at the posted stop sign and drove into the path of a 2013 Peterbuilt truck driven by Elvin Noriega, 26 of Aurora, Ill. As a result, the woman was killed, while Urbano and Noriega both said they would seek private care.

In the other crash, Juana Dias Noriega, 69 of Earlimart, was northbound on Road 168 approaching Avenue 48 at 5:50 a.m. Saturday. He was driving a 1986 Toyota. Fabian Cruz, age unknown, of Earlimart, was driving a 1968 Ford eastbound on Avenue 48.

According to the CHP, the driver of the Toyota pulled into the path of the Ford. Both drivers were taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center where Juan Dias Noriega died. Cruz suffered major injuries.

Both collisions are still under investigation.