California Highway Patrol

On 5/18/2010 at 8:00 am a fatal traffic collision involving two vehicles occurred on Pleasant Valley Rd. near Laguna Rd.

Arturo Cervantes, age 43 of Oxnard, was driving a 1990 Ford water tank truck northbound on Pleasant Valley Rd. near Laguna Rd. Cervantes had two passengers; Leonardo Guzman, age 25 of Oxnard, and Juan Ambriz, age 20 also of Oxnard. Alejandro Gonzales Espinoza, age 22 of Camarillo, was driving a 1994 Toyota Camry southbound on Pleasant Valley Rd. near Laguna Rd. Espinoza's passenger was his father Bernardo Gonzales Alfaro, age 55 of Oxnard.

Cervantes was traveling northbound behind a large farm truck and two other vehicles. The farm truck slowed to a stop to make a left turn into a farm adjacent to Pleasant Valley Rd. The two vehicles behind the farm truck also slowed to a stop. Cervantes approached the vehicles from behind and suddenly saw they were stopping ahead of him. He applied his brakes and realized he would not be able to stop in time to avoid collision with the vehicle directly ahead of him.

Cervantes steered left causing his vehicle to cross over the double yellow lines into the opposing southbound lane directly into the path of Espinoza's vehicle. Espinoza's vehicle struck the right side of Cervantes' truck. Both vehicles veered off the road into a ditch. Cervantes' truck ended up on top of the front portion of Espinoza's vehicle in the ditch.

Cervantes was not injured in the collision. His passengers, Guzman and Ambriz, suffered minor injuries consisting of complaints of pain. They were not transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. Espinoza was pronounced deceased at the scene by Ventura County Fire Department personnel. His father, Alfaro, sustained head, facial and internal injuries. Alfaro also suffered a broken arm. He was transported by ambulance to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

At time of the collision, the roadway was wet due to light rain. Pleasant Valley Rd. was closed between Laguna and Wolff Rds. until 12:10 pm due the collision. The collision is still under investigation.