MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The man driving the truck which the California Highway Patrol says likely drifted over the yellow median, causing the crash which killed himself and seven other people Friday morning, has been identified by law enforcement.
Investigators at the scene said hours after the crash that the truck driver was likely at fault.
“It appears at this time perhaps the black Chevy pickup may have crossed over,” said the CHP’s Javier Ruvalcaba on Friday.
The CHP has since named the truck driver as 78-year-old Robert Kovar from Auberry.
Officers say he was among the eight killed in the crash that happened around 6 a.m. near Avenue 7 and Road 22 in a rural area of Madera County. Seven of the eight people in the van were killed in the crash – as well as the driver of the truck. CHP has also confirmed that some of the victims worked at Lions Farms in Firebaugh.
While law enforcement has officially identified the driver of the truck, the names of the others killed in the crash have not been officially released by the Madera County Coroner’s Office or CHP. However, four of the men killed in the crash have been identified through verified GoFundMe online fundraisers: Hector Orozco, Juvenal Jacobo Talavera, Alfredo Morales and Victor Hernandez.
GoFundMe has confirmed to YourCentralValley.com that the online fundraisers linked above have gone through “an enhanced due diligence review process” to ensure they are legitimate.
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