The California Highway Patrol says a 64-year-old man in a Ford F150 was driving east in the westbound lanes for five to six miles before crashing.
"It initially impacted another vehicle," explained Shannon Stiers, the public information officer for the CHP in Los Banos.
"Side-swiped a vehicle near box car road, and several miles down the road, it went head-on with a 2016 Honda Pilot."
Investigators say the truck went up in flames on impact. Both drivers died at the scene.
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash.
The CHP says Highway 152 is a highly traveled roadway that connects the Central Valley to the Bay Area and can be dangerous.
"We normally have accidents that happen in that area because there's a lot of cross traffic," Stiers said.
"Both lanes of traffic, east and westbound, have traffic that crosses through the center median."
The Merced County Coroner's Office has not identified the driver of the F150 but said 37-year-old Marcy Robison was the driver of the Honda.
She was a resource specialist at Bud Rank Elementary in Clovis.
The principal sent an email to the school that reads in part, quote:
"Our entire team at Bud Rank is stunned and heartbroken, and we are pulling together to support her family, our kids, and each other through our grief."
The statement says that teachers would share an age-appropriate message with students about Robison no longer being at school and that psychologists would be available for students and employees.
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