Sara Brent Death – A woman passed away and two men sustained severe injuries in a head-on collision between two vehicles on Wednesday afternoon on Highway 120 east of Groveland, as reported by the California Highway Patrol in a news release on Thursday morning. Identified by the CHP as 73-year-old Sara Brent from Humble, Texas, the deceased woman was a passenger in a 2024 Kia Forte driven by James Brent, also 73 and from Humble, Texas, according to the CHP.
James Brent was traveling west on Highway 120 near Smith Station Road just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday when, under unknown circumstances, his vehicle crossed the double-yellow line and collided head-on with an eastbound 2013 Kia Soul driven by Andrew Burney, 25, from Truckee, as stated in the news release.
The vehicles collided head-on, resulting in all occupants, who were reportedly wearing seatbelts, sustaining major injuries, the CHP mentioned. Sara Brent succumbed to her injuries at the scene, while James Brent was transported to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto and Burney to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto for medical care.
The CHP reported that traffic on Highway 120 was impacted in both directions for several hours as emergency responders cleared the roadway. The crash was not believed to be influenced by alcohol or drugs, according to the CHP. The area of Highway 120 near Smith Station Road has witnessed multiple accidents over the years that have led to injuries and fatalities.
In October 2015, five individuals perished and two were injured in a fiery head-on collision involving two vehicles after one crossed into the opposite lane at Highway 120 and Smith Station Road. Earlier that year, a three-vehicle crash occurred at the same intersection, resulting in multiple individuals sustaining mild to moderate injuries.
In November 2018, an 82-year-old Groveland resident lost his life in a head-on collision with another vehicle that veered into his lane on Highway 120 after the driver diverted his attention from the road while approaching a curve at Smith Station Road.
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