FRESNO, Calif. — A family from Washington was identified Thursday as the four killed and three injured in a crash on Interstate 5 the previous day, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The family was riding in a Chrysler Aspen minivan about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday headed south on I-5 north of Derrick Avenue before for unknown reasons the van struck a parked big rig, according to officer Rory Marks.
Those killed were passenger Lute Katalina Fekitoa, 43; 25-year-old Naomi Cook, and two children — 13-year-old Keola James (KJ) Cook and 9-year-old Adimada Fekitoa.
Injured were 52-year-old Maikolo Fekitoa, who was driving; Henry Cook, 37; and an 11-year-old girl, CHP said.
The children's names have not been made public, CHP said.
The Fekitoas are from Auburn and the rest are from Edmonds, both cities in Washington, CHP said.
The big rig was unoccupied and officers are still investigating why it was parked on the right shoulder of I-5, CHP said. The van drifted from the roadway and into the left rear end of the trailer.
The van sustained major structural damage and much of the right side of the van was sheered off, Marks said.
"It pretty much opened up the passenger compartment and the vehicle spun around," he said.
Four of the passengers were ejected, CHP said.
One of the surviving passengers was flown by helicopter to Community Regional Medical Center. Two others were taken there by ambulance. All of their injuries are considered major, according to CHP.
The southbound side of the highway was shutdown for about six hours, CHP said.
