A 78-year old man from Oakdale was killed and a 23-year-old Oakdale man arrested following a Tuesday evening accident, May 18, at Orange Blossom and Lancaster roads east of the city.

Authorities identified the victim as George John Pacheco, 78, of Oakdale. He was the driver of a northbound Chevrolet Tahoe on Orange Blossom and sustained fatal injuries when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a southbound Chevrolet Silverado. The driver of the Silverado, identified by the California Highway Patrol as Jesus Perez, 23, of Oakdale was arrested and sustained major injuries. A 23-year-old passenger in the Silverado, from Oakdale, had minor injuries and a 31-year-old male passenger in the Silverado, from Brentwood, had major injuries.

A passenger in the Tahoe, a 76-year-old Oakdale woman, was hospitalized with major injuries.

According to the CHP report, shortly before 7 p.m. on May 18, Perez was driving the Chevrolet Silverado southbound on Orange Blossom Road, at an unknown speed. The Tahoe was northbound on Orange Blossom, also at an unknown speed, when the Silverado traveled into the northbound lane, striking the Tahoe head on.

The crash remains under investigation; authorities said alcohol appears to have been a factor in the crash.

The Silverado came to rest on its wheels, facing in a southerly direction and blocking the northbound lane of Orange Blossom Road. The Tahoe was on its wheels facing a northerly direction, also blocking the northbound lane.

The preliminary CHP investigation also revealed that the three people in the Silverado were not wearing their seatbelts; the driver and passenger in the Tahoe were using their seatbelts.