Two women killed in Fresno County crash involving SUV and big rig, CHP says

Two women are dead following a traffic collision involving an SUV and a big rig in Fresno County just west of Mendota on Monday.

At about 4:39 p.m., Los Banos area California Highway Patrol officers responded to the area of West Shields Avenue and North Russell Avenue for a two-vehicle collision involving an SUV and a big rig, according to a CHP news release.

Officers arrived on scene and determined Aala A Ahmed, 36, of Livermore was driving a 2020 Toyota Highlander with two female passengers westbound on Shields Avenue approaching the intersection with Russell Avenue at about 60 mph.

Authorities said it appears the Toyota failed to stop at a posted stop sign and entered the intersection.

The CHP said a the right side of the Toyota was struck by the front end of a 2021 Peterbilt driven by Jagdish Thind, 46, of Marysville, towing two trailers traveling southbound on Russell Avenue. Authorities said Ahmed had moderate injuries and was helped out of the Toyota and Thind was able to exit the truck without injuries.

The front right passenger and the right rear passenger in the Toyota were trapped inside the vehicle and died of their injuries, according to the CHP.

Authorities said one of the passengers was a 35-year-old woman from Tracy and the other was a 64-year-old woman from Hayward.

The CHP did not release the identities of the deceased pending notification of family.

According to the CHP, neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision.