4 dead, 2 children injured after vehicle crashes, catches fire in Stanislaus County

OAKDALE, Calif -- Two children and two adults were killed after a vehicle crashed and caught fire in Stanislaus County early Sunday morning, officials said. Two other children were seriously injured.

According to the California Highway Patrol, officers responded to reports of a solo vehicle crash after 3:05 a.m. on the Oakdale-Waterford Highway near Claribel Road. CHP said a 2014 Dodge SUV was fully engulfed in flames when officers arrived, with two children outside of it.

The SUV was traveling northbound when the driver veered off the road and hit a concrete barrier, according to CHP. When it caught flames, a 12-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were able to get themselves out of the vehicle.

Four other people were pronounced dead at the scene.

A family member identified the victims as Adrian Solorio, Brenda Cisneros, their 5-year-old child and an infant.

The relative of Solorio said the husband and wife were leaving a family gathering in Merced and were just 10 minutes from their home when the crash took place.

The children who made it out of the vehicle suffered major injuries and were taken to UC Davis Medical Center in a helicopter, officials said.

It is unclear what caused the driver of the SUV to crash. An investigation is still underway, according to CHP.

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