DUI suspect in deadly head-on crash in Madera County identified

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The driver in a suspected DUI crash that killed two people in Madera County has been identified as 42-year-old Felipe Angel Ramirez of Coarsegold.

The California Highway Patrol says Ramirez was behind the wheel of a white Chevy work truck that lost control around 4 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 41 near Van Teri Road. He faces DUI charges.

Investigators say the truck clipped a black SUV that swerved to avoid it, then slammed head-on into a Ford Bronco. The couple inside the Bronco, 78-year-old Kirk McCarty and 76-year-old Valerie McCarty of Coarsegold, were killed.

Travis Miller, who owns an auto shop along Highway 41, said he saw the truck swerving and tried to intervene.

"I saw him swerve and overcorrect off the road," Miller said. "As I was pulling out, he went off the road again and almost lost it into oncoming traffic."

Miller followed the truck and tried to get the driver to stop.

"He wouldn't pull over," he said. "He said it was his cell phone and the GPS."

The truck briefly pulled into a Dollar General parking lot before returning to the road. Just over a mile later, it veered into oncoming traffic, hitting the Bronco and rolling over the black SUV.

A 17-year-old girl driving the black SUV managed to take evasive action and survived.

"She was traveling behind the Bronco at the time of the crash," CHP officer Jeremy Buttgereit said. "She witnessed the white truck coming into her lane and was able to turn into the northbound lane, avoiding the brunt of the crash."

Her vehicle was totaled. Her stepfather, a tow truck driver who regularly responds to crashes, was devastated to learn his daughter was involved. "

"What are the odds of a tow truck driver's daughter being in a wreck, and a terrible one, too," said a family friend. "I couldn't imagine."

CHP officers remained on scene Wednesday, reviewing skid marks and other evidence.

Ramirez remains hospitalized but is expected to survive. He could face multiple charges, including DUI. Action News has learned he has a prior DUI conviction in North Dakota.

Highway 41, a major route for mountain communities, was shut down for hours.

"We all have family that travel up and down this road," a local resident said. "It's something we fear all the time. I have young children who use this road, and you never want to get that phone call."

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