Two Artesia Residents Killed in Head-On Crash in Northern Kern County

Two Artesia residents were killed in a head-on collision on State Route 14 near the community of Inyokern Thursday night, which also left two others riding in the car critically injured, including a pregnant woman who lost her baby in the accident.

The crash happened about 9:40 p.m. on Sept. 1 when a 19-year-old Artesia man driving a Mistubishi Eclipse was heading north on SR 14 and crashed into a southbound car north of State Route 178, said California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Smith of the Mojave Area office.

The driver and a 47-year-old woman riding with him died at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, according to the CHP and the Los Angeles Department of Coroner. The names of the two were withheld, pending notification of family, but both victims are from Artesia.

Smith said two other passengers were in the Mitsubishi: Angela Navejas, 19, of Homeland in Riverside County and a 5-year-old boy, whose name was withheld. Both were critically injured.

Smith said Navejas was pregnant, but "the baby did not survive.''

The boy was airlifted to Childrens Hospital in Fresno. Smith declined to reveal the relationships of the Mitsubishi's occupants to one another, because their relatives of the deceased had not been notified.

The other vehicle, a Toyota Camry, was driven by Joel Yanez, 22, of Mammoth Lakes, who was critically injured in the accident.

Smith said the driver of the Mitsubishi was heading north on SR 14 "when he entered the southbound lanes of State Route 14 (and) the Mitsubishi collided head-on with (the) southbound Toyota Camry.''

"The investigation indicates the northbound vehicle crossed over into the southbound lane possibly in an attempt to pass slower-moving vehicles,'' Smith said. "All occupants were wearing their seatbelts. The use of alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this collision.''

- City News Service contributed to this report.