Victim killed in suspected DUI crash identified by Fresno County coroner

Thaddeus Miller
·1 min read

A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of drunken driving followed a fatal head-on collision in Fresno County.

Gilbert S. Castro, 27, of Mendota was driving south on Highway 33 north of Bass Avenue about 3 a.m. in a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, according to the California Highway Patrol.

He allowed the SUV to drift into the northbound lanes and collided head-on with a 2009 Toyota Corolla, killing the 22-year-old driver, CHP said.

The left front of the Chevy hit the left front of the Toyota, CHP said, and the 22-year-old Mendota man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was identified Monday afternoon by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Benedo Alfaro Vasquez of Mendota.

Castro did not have serious injuries, CHP said, though his car sustained major damage. Both drivers were wearing a seat belt.

Officers determined Castro showed signs of intoxication and he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, CHP said.