Crash kills 3 women, 2 children on Highway 12 near Rio Vista

Three women and two small children died in a horrific crash on Highway 12 in southern Sacramento County on Saturday night that stopped traffic in both directions for hours.

The collision happened about 5:35 p.m. when the driver of a Honda Civic attempted to pass, lost control and was broadsided by an oncoming pickup truck, said Officer Michael Bradley, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

UPDATE: Two of five victims identified in fatal Highway 12 crash near Rio Vista

There were two women in their 20s or 30s, a teenage girl and two children, ages 2 or 3, in the older compact car, Bradley said. The Civic was heading east on Highway 12 about 2 miles from Highway 160 near Rio Vista, he said.

The car had already passed one vehicle and was attempting to pass another when the driver apparently realized she didn’t have enough room to pass and tried to merge back into the eastbound lane, Bradley said.

The driver swerved, overcorrected and spun back into the westbound lane, he said. An oncoming Chevy Silverado pickup truck was unable to avoid hitting the Civic. The truck slammed into the car broadside, killing all three women and one of the children.

Another child was taken to a hospital and died there. The passengers of the 2007 Silverado, a couple with their two older children, were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the officer said.

They appeared to be wearing seat belts and the truck’s airbags deployed, he said.

It was unclear if the adults in the Civic were wearing seat belts or if both children were restrained in car seats, he said. Only one car seat was visible, he said.

Traffic on Highway 12 was stopped for hours in both directions and the lanes were expected to remain closed until about 11 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 9:48 PM with the headline "Crash kills 3 women, 2 children on Highway 12 near Rio Vista."