8 killed in crash between Dodge Neon and GMC pickup

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Apparently all three men in the stolen Dodge Neon were killed at the scene. The survivors are the mother and father, who weren't wearing seatbelts and have been hospitalized. All five of their children died, four at the scene and one at the hospital. Presumably at least some were in the truck bed.

[ThomasP]

Apparently all three men in the stolen Dodge Neon were killed at the scene. The survivors are the mother and father, who weren't wearing seatbelts and have been hospitalized. All five of their children died, four at the scene and one at the hospital. Presumably at least some were in the truck bed.

From KTVU

FRESNO, Calif. -- While an Orange Cove couple remained hospitalized Monday, family members began making plans to bury the couple’s five children and questioned the cost of a deadly weekend police chase.

Carlos Eric Salazar, 8, died of his injuries Sunday at Community Regional Hospital in Fresno. His four siblings were killed immediately on Saturday when a car being chased by police slammed into his family’s truck. Three people in the fleeing car also died.

The devastating toll left family members stunned and angered.

"Police killed five innocent children," said Mirtala Elizondo, a family relative told the Fresno Bee. "For what? A stolen car. A car is nothing."

Dinuba police said they began chasing a Dodge Neon – that had been carjacked -- shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday when it refused to pull over for a traffic infraction.

The high-speed pursuit ended about four miles outside the city limits when the Neon, ran a stop sign and collided with a pickup carrying a family of seven.

California Highway Patrol Officer Felipe Martinez said the five Salazar children were riding in the back of the truck and were thrown from the vehicle on impact. None of the children were wearing a seat belt or any other kind of restraint.

The children's parents -- Carlos Salazar, Jr., 29, and Jennifer Salazar, 26 -- were in the cab and suffered a verity of injuries, the CHP said.

The three men who fled from Dinuba police died at the scene and haven't been identified, Martinez said. None of them were carrying identification, he added.

Authorities identified the five children who died were: Jochelyn Grace Salazar, 7; Monique Janae Salazar, 4; Michael Alexander Salazar, 3; Sienna Rose Salazar, 1, and Carlos Eric Salazar, 8.

Bolding mine. It's not 100% clear from that wording but they make it sound like they were just riding in the back seat w/o any form of restraint.

I'd think if they were in the bed they'd have specified, but maybe not.

[MKSheppard]

Riding in the truck bed is okay if you're on a farm and need to move a lot of people at once, but on the highway? Fuck that.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I think back is meant to be bed in this case, myself, that's how I read it.

[jcow79]

Bolding mine. It's not 100% clear from that wording but they make it sound like they were just riding in the back seat w/o any form of restraint.

I'd think if they were in the bed they'd have specified, but maybe not.

To me that sounds like it does mean truck bed. I would think they would have said backseat had they been in the back seats. Growing up in California we always referred to the truck bed as the "back of the truck"

[ThomasP]

Fair enough then

It just read initially as "back seat" to me, but given the circumstances I'd not argue.

[Ryan Thunder]

"Police killed five innocent children," said Mirtala Elizondo, a family relative told the Fresno Bee. "For what? A stolen car. A car is nothing."

Oh come the fuck on.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

"Police killed five innocent children," said Mirtala Elizondo, a family relative told the Fresno Bee. "For what? A stolen car. A car is nothing."

Oh come the fuck on. :roll:

High-speed police chases have been repeatedly criticized for doing little more than putting innocent people at risk, since the chasees typically have zero regard for anything beyond trying to get away from the police, and these chases not-infrequently end with suspect vehicles colliding with vehicles driven by innocent bystanders. So, the sentiment expressed by the lady is perfectly understandable.

[Pick]

Maybe if they didn't want their children to die, they shouldn't have been driving around with their one-year-old in a truck bed. Just saying.

To bad it's the kids who pay the biggest price.

(And yeah, "back of the truck" sounds like truck bed to me.)

[Raxmei]

Truck beds are cargo spaces. Putting passengers there is illegal in the state where this took place. At least one and possibly more of those passengers couldn't even legally ride in the cab without child seats. This family was doing with their five children what many people say you shouldn't do with dogs. I wonder how long this family got away with driving around like that. Around here you'll get pulled over if the cops notice you aren't wearing seatbelts.

[ray245]

Cultural norm is something that would be ignored by local government officials most of the time. The only real alternative to discourage this kind of behaviour is introducing trucks that is designed to carry people in a safe and reliable manner.

Wake up, pal. They already have trucks that are designed to carry people in a safe and reliable manner. That doesn't stop people from misusing them.

There are trucks that carry people on the truck bed in a safe and reliable manner?

[AniThyng]

Cultural norm is something that would be ignored by local government officials most of the time. The only real alternative to discourage this kind of behaviour is introducing trucks that is designed to carry people in a safe and reliable manner.

Wake up, pal. They already have trucks that are designed to carry people in a safe and reliable manner. That doesn't stop people from misusing them.

There are trucks that carry people on the truck bed in a safe and reliable manner?

No, there are trucks that carry people in an oversized cabin in a safe and reliable manner. Jesus. You're not supposed to put passengers in the fucking truck bed. That's what is called "misuse".

Unless you like, add seats and a cabin cover. Then congratulations, you have yourself an MPV/SUV/Van.

Of course, there's those big trucks armies use. I have no idea if the benches on those have seatbelts, but it's not like these are what is being discussed AT ALL.

[RogueIce]

Maybe if they didn't want their children to die, they shouldn't have been driving around with their one-year-old in a truck bed. Just saying.

To bad it's the kids who pay the biggest price.

(And yeah, "back of the truck" sounds like truck bed to me.)

Judging from the video with that article, it didn't look like they even had an extended/crew cab. It looked like an old rusty "farm truck".

[Julhelm]

High-speed police chases have been repeatedly criticized for doing little more than putting innocent people at risk, since the chasees typically have zero regard for anything beyond trying to get away from the police, and these chases not-infrequently end with suspect vehicles colliding with vehicles driven by innocent bystanders. So, the sentiment expressed by the lady is perfectly understandable.

Why is it that this practice is allowed to persist? Over here the police generally chase only if it's a non-trafficked stretch of road (like rural roads) and tend to back off otherwise and catch the suspect with multiple roadblocks instead.

[The Spartan]

The general tough on crime thinking of the population.

"They're criminals and they ran and we have to catch them so they can be punished."