FATALITY ACCIDENT Sherry Barkas, The Desert Sun Five Coachella Valley women — longtime friends who were on their way to a sorority luncheon — were killed in a two-vehicle crash in Salton City this weekend. The women have been identified by the Imperial County Coroner’s Office as Deanna Anderson, 76 of Palm Springs; Johnnie Alford, 84 of Cathedral City; Doris Bailey Gill, 78 of Palm Desert; Mona Mertens, 87 of Cathedral City, and Nancy Sliger, 80 of Palm Springs. The five women were on their way to a Beta Sigma Phi luncheon in Salton City Saturday morning when their van collided with a Ford F-150 pickup at 10:35 a.m. on Highway 86, California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Germán Lazarin said Monday. The group’s 1995 Oldsmobile van westbound on Brawley Avenue and approaching the Highway 86 intersection, stopping at a two-way stop sign. The van, driven by Anderson, then pulled out into the path of the northbound Ford, which attempted to stop but couldn’t and broadsided the van, Lazarin said. Another passenger in the van, a 75-year-old Palm Springs woman, was flown by helicopter to Desert Regional Medical Center with major injuries. “It sounds like she will make it,” Lazarin said, adding she was alert Monday morning. None of the women in the van have been identified. Lazarin said officers were still attempting to contact family members. Three of the women were from Palm Springs, two from Cathedral City and one from Palm Desert. “We’ve been friends with all of them for probably 15 years,” said Bill Marchese of Palm Springs. “We were supposed to have lunch with them on Sunday at Mimi’s in Rancho Mirage. I even brought flowers for them.” The Marcheses got to the restaurant and waited. At 4:30 p.m. when no one showed up, he began making calls. The daughter of one of the women told him what had happened. “These gals were friends for years. They always have Thanksgiving dinner together at one of their homes,” Marchese said. The Ford pickup involved in the crash was driven by Victor Larra Bravo, 43, of Mexicali, who was uninjured, Lazarin said. His four passengers, all of Mexicali, received minor to major injuries and were taken to Pioneers Memorial Hospital. The crash is under investigation.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 22:05:24 +0000
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