Victims ID'd In Crash Caused By Choking Big-Rig Driver Near Davis
DAVIS (CBS SF) -- The Solano County coroner's office has identified a Petaluma couple as the victims who died in a crash involving a big-rig on Interstate Highway 80 on Thursday morning.
Phang Phetsomphou, 76, the driver of a BMW that was struck by the big-rig, and passenger Bouaket Phetsomphou, 74, died at the scene of the crash near the Solano-Yolo County line, coroner's deputy Gregg Spanos said.
The male driver of the empty commercial trailer, John Manuszak, 45, of Fresno, was eating as he drove in the far right lane of eastbound Highway 80 near Old Davis Road around 10:35 a.m. Thursday, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.
When Manuszak choked on food and lost consciousness, the big-rig drifted to the right then veered sharply to the left across all eastbound lanes of the highway, Parker said.
The big-rig struck an eastbound Toyota Corolla and a Volkswagen station wagon, causing minor to moderate injuries to their drivers, Parker said.
The big-rig driver regained consciousness when the big-rig drove into the center divider of the highway and through the guardrail, according to Parker.
The big-rig then collided with the westbound BMW, causing both vehicles to burst into flames, Parker said.
The Phetsomphous were killed on impact, Parker said.
The big-rig driver was able to get out of the vehicle. He and the drivers of the Toyota and Volkswagen were taken to UC Davis Medical Center, Parker said.
The Davis Fire Department responded to the crash and extinguished the fires in both vehicles and the couple was then found, Parker said.
Spanos said autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
