Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter.


Villanueva Jose 011002 p1
Car Crash Injures Local Teen, Kills 3 from Newman;  A local teenager driving southbound on Highway 33 between
Westley and Patterson sustained injuries Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident.  According to California Highway
Patrol Sgt. Chris Mahnke of the Modesto division office, Andres Arriola, 16, of Patterson was driving a 2001 Ford
Ranger truck headed southbound on the highway just south of Fruit Avenue at around 12:30 p.m.  At the same time,
another vehicle, a 1986 Ford Taurus, and its four occupants was headed northbound on Highway 33. It appeared Arriola
reached over to turn on the truck s air conditioner and took his eyes off the road.  Arriola's truck went over the center
divider into the northbound lane. During that same time, Pedro Villanueva, 36, of Newman, who was driving the Ford
Taurus, noticed Arriola s truck coming toward him and moved to the left side of the road to avoid a collision. Then
Arriola looked up and saw the incoming Ford Taurus, and swerved in the same direction. That was when the vehicles
collided in the southbound lane.  "The left side tires straddled the center line and the other driver,Villanueva, saw the first
driver," Malinke said. "So he had to take action."  Arriola complained of pain, which may have been caused by the seat
belt and air bag, according to Mahnke. The teenager was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment and
released. Villanueva also suffered minor injuries; he was taken to Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock for treatment and
also released.  Three passengers in Villanueva s car were killed: Javier Martinez, 38. Jose Villanueva, 19, and Luis
Villanueva, 7, all of Newman.  Mahnke said that three of the four occupants in. the Ford Taurus were wearing seat belts
while the other was not, and two of the three people killed had seat belts on. It was not known as of Sunday afternoon if
the person that did not have a seat belt on was ejected from the Ford Taurus.  Arriola was driving at approximately 55
mph, which is the speed limit on Highway 33, while Villanueva was going 50 mph. There were no signs of alcohol or
drugs on either driver. Mahnke said the accident is still under investigation.