Brett Silva, 53, was killed after being involved in an accident on Highway 32 last Sunday.
The accident occurred at around 5 p.m., west of County Road VV between Hamilton City and Orland. Silva, who was traveling east, was hit head-on by a westbound vehicle that was passing traffic in the eastbound lanes at unsafe speeds. Both drivers unsuccessfully tried to avoid the accident.
The westbound vehicle was a Ford Fusion, driven by 24-year-old Ramon Barrera, Jr. Silva’s vehicle was a Toyota Camry. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In addition, Silva’s two children, Isabella and Ian, aged 16 and 14 respectively, were passengers in the car. Both were hospitalized with major injuries. Both children are in stable condition. Barrera was also hospitalized with injuries that included a broken leg and a dislocated hip and elbow.
CHP says that Barrera was driving unsafely, failing to give oncoming traffic sufficient room to avoid a collision. The investigation is still underway, and it is unclear whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.
Brett Silva was a social science teacher at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California. Students and faculty expressed remorse over his death, and a candlelight vigil was planned for 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
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