HANFORD, Kings County, Calif., Oct. 16, 2026 — A wrong-way crash on eastbound State Route 198 at Enterprise Avenue killed one driver on Thursday morning, October 15, the California Highway Patrol reported. The collision closed lanes for several hours during the morning commute.
A white Kia Soul was reportedly traveling the wrong way on westbound SR-198 when it collided with a dark-colored pickup and a white sedan. One vehicle came to rest in the median and another in the westbound lanes, the report said. A possible third vehicle may have been involved, though that has not been confirmed.
The driver of a dark-colored vehicle was reported unresponsive inside the car at the scene. The Coalinga Fire Department assisted at the site, and personnel helped direct traffic around the wreck while crews worked to clear the roadway, the agency said.
Investigators also found a knocked-down "Wrong Way" sign and a bent sign nearby, suggesting a vehicle may have struck them before the crash. The CHP has not released names, ages, or a cause, and the circumstances that led the Kia Soul to enter the highway going the wrong direction remain under investigation. All lanes had reopened by midmorning.
Our sympathies are with the family of the person who lost their life.
Why Wrong-Way Crashes Cause So Much Damage
A wrong-way crash is different from almost any other kind of collision because the vehicles are not slowing toward each other; they are adding their speeds together. Two cars each moving at 65 mph in opposite directions create a closing speed near 130 mph at the moment of impact, more than double what either driver would face in a rear-end or same-direction crash at that speed.
That extra speed matters because a vehicle's crumple zones, the front and rear sections designed to absorb impact, are built around a design range of collision forces. Doubling the closing speed does not just double the force on the vehicle structure; it multiplies it further, since crash energy rises with the square of speed. Head-on impacts at highway speeds routinely exceed what the front structure and restraint systems, seatbelts and airbags, were engineered to manage.
The weight and type of the vehicles involved also shape the outcome. A compact sedan meeting a pickup truck head-on absorbs a harder hit than two similarly sized cars would, because the heavier vehicle changes speed less while the lighter one changes more. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers without valid licenses had a higher risk of fatal wrong-way crashes on divided highways in 2014 through 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I see a car heading the wrong way toward me?
Slow down, move to the right shoulder if possible, and avoid swerving into another lane. Call 911 to report the location, direction of travel, and vehicle description so authorities can respond and warn other drivers.
How do highways try to stop wrong-way entries?
Many freeways use lowered "Wrong Way" and "Do Not Enter" signs positioned to be visible to a driver facing the wrong direction, along with reflective pavement markers at off-ramps. Some interchanges also use sensors that trigger flashing warnings when a wrong-way vehicle is detected.
Is alcohol usually a factor in these crashes?
Wrong-way crashes on divided highways are tied to impaired driving more commonly than typical crashes, and they tend to happen more at night, when impairment and reduced visibility both play a larger role.
Do these crashes happen more on certain kinds of roads?
They concentrate on divided highways and freeways, particularly near ramps and interchanges where a driver can mistakenly enter an exit ramp or cross from one direction to the other.
What to Do After a Wrong-Way Crash in Hanford, CA
If you are involved in or witness a wrong-way crash, call 911 immediately and stay as far from traffic as safety allows. Even if you feel fine, seek a medical evaluation, since impact injuries from high-speed collisions are not always immediately obvious.
Keep a record of what you observed, including vehicle descriptions, directions of travel, and the time, since this can help investigators reconstruct what happened. If you're a passenger or secondary party, cooperate with CHP or local officers and request a copy of the incident report once it's available for your own records.
