Gretchen Scotia Obituary, Death; – Gretchen Scotia, aged 61, from Fresno, tragically lost her life on Friday afternoon in a collision involving a commercial truck carrying pistachios on State Route 180, as reported by the California Highway Patrol.
The incident took place at approximately 1:20 p.m. near the intersection of Hayes Avenue and State Route 180, according to a statement from the Fresno Area CHP. Scotia was operating a Toyota Camry and was heading north on Hayes Avenue, approaching a stop sign at the intersection. Simultaneously, a 39-year-old man from Bakersfield was driving a 2013 Peterbilt truck northbound on State Route 180, transporting a full load of pistachios.
The circumstances leading to the crash are still being investigated, but authorities indicated that Scotia entered the intersection directly in front of the truck. The truck driver, unable to evade the collision, struck the left side of the Toyota in the eastbound lane, resulting in both vehicles veering off the road onto the north shoulder. The force of the impact caused the pistachio load to spill across the roadway.
The driver of the Toyota was declared deceased at the scene, while the Peterbilt driver sustained no injuries and is cooperating with the investigation. The CHP’s report indicated that there is no suspicion of drugs or alcohol being involved in the incident.
