On April 9th, 2019, at approximately 6:42 am, Merced California Highway Patrol Communications received a call of a vehicle versus a farm equipment vehicle collision in the area of Arboleda Drive and Olive Avenue.

CHP Units arrived at the scene and during the investigation, it was determined that Jose Virrueta was driving a six-wheel Gator vehicle southbound on Arboleda Drive, north of Olive Avenue at a slow speed.

The Gator vehicle was equipped with a slow-moving triangle sign to the rear as required by law. Alexis Reyes was driving a Toyota Tacoma southbound on Arboleda Drive north of Olive Avenue, at approximately 45 mph, and directly to the rear of the Gator vehicle.

For an unknown reason, Reyes failed to see the Gator in the roadway and the front of the Toyota collided with the rear of the Gator vehicle.

Virrueta was ejected from the Gator vehicle in a southwesterly direction. As a result of this collision, Virrueta was Med-flighted to Memorial Medical Center with major injuries.

Reyes did not sustain any injuries. No drugs or alcohol appear to be a factor in this collision.