The Antelope Valley Times

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2 injured in head-on collision

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The crash sent both vehicles airborne, according to CHP Sgt. John Williams. (Photo by LUIS MEZA)
The crash sent both vehicles airborne, according to CHP Sgt. John Williams. (Photo by LUIS MEZA)

PALMDALE – Two drivers suffered critical injuries and had to be extricated from their vehicles following a head-on collision on Pearblossom Highway, authorities said.

The collision happened around 6 a.m., Monday (Dec. 23) on Pearblossom Highway, just east of Small Road.

Elizabeth Salguero was driving a 1998 Toyota eastbound on Pearblossom Highway at an unknown speed, while Juan Gonzalez was driving a 2004 Chevy westbound on Pearblossom Highway at an estimated speed of 35-45 miles per hour, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

The crash happened on on Pearblossom Highway, east of Small Road. (Photo by LUIS MEZA)
The crash happened on on Pearblossom Highway, east of Small Road. (Photo by LUIS MEZA)

“For reasons unknown, Elizabeth allowed her vehicle to cross over the solid double yellow line and enter the westbound lanes directly into the path of Juan Gonzales. Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s vehicle continued eastbound where it [hit] Juan Gonzalez’s vehicle head on,” states the CHP report.

“Both vehicles went airborne and pivoted in a semi-circle and landed…” said CHP Sgt. John Williams. “Both drivers of both vehicles sustained major injuries, and the cause of this collision is still under investigation.”

Elizabeth Salguero, 25, of Palmdale and Juan Gonzalez, 42, of Los Angeles were extricated from their vehicles by Fire Department personnel and airlifted to Antelope Valley Hospital.

Filed Under: Palmdale

51 comments for "2 injured in head-on collision"

  1. the man injured in this car accident is not dead. the person who posted the comment about this person dying is a troller. i work at the hospital and he is still alive. i was saddened to read this comment but relieved when i got to work yesterday night and saw he was still alive.

  2. His my uncle, he passed away. You guys can’t say anything negative about it now. Just leave this aside and pray for my family. This is ridiculous for people to act like if they know what happened.!

    • I am so sorry for your loss Randy…my heart goes out to the families of both drivers. My prayers are with all concerned. God Bless.

    • Oh my goodness not the news I wanted to hear. I was at the hospital on the 23rd because my son was having knee surgery. I spoke to Mr Gonzalez’ wife she was obviously so upset and distracted, I tried to help out the best I could to help her out. This breaks my heart to hear he passed away. My prayers go out to her and the entire family.

    • i’m not sure if he really died / he seemed pretty stable to me, since i work at the hospital / i cannot discuss further because i would be in violation of privacy, but i hope this is just some troller because mr gonzalez is innocent and doesn’t deserve to die. elizabeth is not doing too well either. this is not about blame now. this is about two people who are fighting to live.

    • WHAT WAS YOUR UNCLES NAME? I SAW ANOTHER NEWS REPORT WHERE A MR. ALMARAZ DIED IN A FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISION ON THE 25TH CHRISTMAS DAY?
      AND THIS ALSO HAPPENED ON PEARBLOSSOM HWY IN PALMDALE.

  4. You people should be worried about the individuals health involved in this accident and not the petty details of how it happened! Salguero is currently fighting for her life. She is also a mother to a beautiful little girl, who needs her. It’s unfortunate this happened, especially during Christmas, my prayers are with both people and their families.

  5. It would be smart if they would put street lights here… I read several story’s here of them crashing they need to improve on some street lights… Even if the crash was 6am still a lil dark

  6. Thats my cuzin u [removed] shes almost dead and all u can do is blame?i pray to God shes ok.

  7. The city should put a Center Divider on that piece of road, there’s been more accidents in that stretch.

    • Luis- It’s a State Hwy that the city has no authority or control over. I’ve been driving that stretch twice a day for almost 20 years and this is the first such accident in or around that location that I am aware of.
      To “The Spotter” how would a light have prevented this accident? She crossed over into oncoming traffic.

  8. They call it an ACCIDENT for a reason. Whats wrong with you blame casters? This is a life changing event even if they hopefully survive. Pray for them, not blame them, especially because this doesn’t affect most of you personally There’s enough of that hateful mess in the world already.

  9. It is an accident, it is up to the CHP to determine fault, not us. God bless the victims and their families

  10. That’s why I drive in that far right lane on this hwy because I remember one time a car had a blow out and it drifted into the on coming traffic good thing no cars were coming

  11. FYI the semi’s who drive down Pearblossom Hwy. are typically going to fast to stop at the traffic lights. They often blow right through their red light and right into the path of cars entering the Hwy. on a green light. Be careful whenever you cross Pearblossom between Sierra Hwy and the 138.

    • This is common across the whole Antelope Valley.

      Semis blow through stops way too regularly, and they know they are less likely to be ticketed, especially by the CHP, because of the paper work that has to be checked by the CHP officers.

      The CHP needs to step up their game on stop sign/light running semis, or red light runners. I see at least three a day regularly when I am in the AV.

    • Really? I drive this road, every morning, to get to work. I have never, once, seen a semi blown through the lights in any direction. The closest thing I saw was a semi coming off the 14 pull in front of a cement truck, forcing the cement truck to whip around. Its the idiots who are trying to rush by every vehicle to get to the front of the pack who cause incidents and make it unsafe for all other drivers.

  12. That time of the morning I’m betting driving into the sun had something to do with it. Terrible in any case.

  13. At this point it doesn’t not matter how it happened!! It happened! leave the negative BS out and just Pray. A friend passed away a few years ago and it was his birthday on this same day on the same damn street.. ALLL WE CAN DO IS PRAY and HOPE that GOD is with her. JUST PRAY. Liz and Juan your in our prayers.

  14. How sad another tragic crash on that highway! Hopefully both of the drivers and families are ok! Happy Holidays!!!

  15. I was there when it happened. I felt so helpless they were both so badly trapped and very little we could do to help. It was upsetting that during this Christmas season that people were more worried about getting through the accident scene to where they needed to be as two people were fighting for thier lives. To those of you on here that want to sit and judge who made you God. I pray for both victims and their families that God brings peace and healing to their bodies and heart. We should all be praying for each other instead of throwing stones. Love you all and God bless and remember the true meaning of Christmas

  16. that’s sad .. people need to pay attention to the road when they are driving.. no one knows why they crashed but dear lord that gray car… it’s amazing the guy survived .. :( hope they both recover soon from there injuries ..

  17. I bet Salguero was texting and speeding. This is ridiculous and I feel terrible for Mr. Gonzalez. Thankfully he survived and will hopefully recover from his injuries.

        • Obviously you’re an idiot and have a lot of guilt for texting and driving! The person behind the wheel could have suffered a heart attack, stroke, seizure or an asthma attack… You should get a job at a news agency since you like making headlines without knowing the unknown.

    • I don’t know if she was texting sleeping or what but it does clearly say Salguero drove on the wrong side of the road you don’t need to be CHP to see she was in the wrong and Gonzalez was the victim.

      • Chris u should solve the case since your so sure that salguero was at fault looser people are fighting for there life’s it’s an accident

    • I feel sorry for both of them and their families. I hope both live and are able to recover as well as they can after such a horrible accident.

      We don’t know what happened. Maybe she was texting. Maybe she fell asleep. Maybe she had a medical emergency or something happened that made it hard for her to see. Why are people so quick to make judgments.

    • Palmdale resident, I was thinking the exact same thing. Hope I am wrong but I see way to much of this all day, everyday.. it sickens me to see people paying more attention to their texts then lives coming at them on the road. I will give her the benefit of the doubt for now.. hope they recover.

    • You got some nerve! She’s on a hospital bed fighting for her life and your gonna make some dumb assumption that she was texting and speeding? FYI, she’s a dear friend of mine and she’s not known to do either! So get a life and have some damn respect!!!

      • Creo que no estaba textiando pero si estaba muy borracha eso esta en el reporte medico y de la policia,es una pezte que arruino ha una familia complete y no tiene la decencia de ser rresponsable por una ves en su desgraciada vida.

          • Para tranquilidad de la familia y para la desgracia de los Salgueros te dire que no fallecio gracias ha Dios ya que el es una persona decente y entregado ha su familia y no como la borracha de Salguero que en lugar de estar con su hija andaba de borracha como cualquier pelusa sin moral vieja cochina y criminal hojala se levante pronto para que pague su crimen y lo siento por su hijita que su madre no la quiere pues no penso en su hija por eso se convirtio en criminal y lo peor es que su familia aprueba lo que hiso por eso la defienden y todos son familia de pelusas.

      • [removed] your stupid dear friend was drunk ok. and she is the one to blame for all. cause mr.gonzalez was having a perfectly fine day until that [removed] of your friend appeared.