NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Three more victims of a fiery bus and semi crash last week on Interstate 5 near Orland were identified on Thursday.
The April 10 wreck – involving a FedEx semi, a motorcoach carrying Southern California high school students to a preview event at Humboldt State and a Nissan Altima – killed 10 people and injured 34, according to officials.
Glenn County Sheriff-Coroner Larry Jones said Dr. William Farrell and the Far Northern California Forensic Dental Team, working with detectives, positively identified Jennifer Caroline Bonilla, 17, of Los Angeles, a student at Dorsey High School; Denise Eraina Gomez, 18, of Inglewood, a student at Animo Charter High School; and Marisa Elaine Serrato, 17, of Riverside, a student at Norte Vista High School.
The agency previously identified the FedEx semi driver as 32-year-old Timothy Paul Evans of Elk Grove, with Talalelei Feleni Lealao-Taiao, 53, of Sacramento confirmed as the driver of the 2014 Setra motorcoach, owned and operated by Silverado Stages of San Luis Obispo.
Other victims formally identified include Michael Lee Myvett Jr., 29, of Los Angeles, a chaperone on the bus trip; Ismael Jimenez, 18, a student from Inglewood; and Humboldt State Admissions Office staffer Arthur Arzola, as Lake County News has reported.
Jones said there are now two remaining individuals who must be positively identified.
“In one case dental records have been archived and an effort is being put forth by the dental provider to locate them,” Jones said in a Thursday statement. “A second dental provider has provided written records, however, they are experiencing difficulty in locating x-rays for the suspected decedent.”
He said the obstacles in getting those records are creating delays for the Far Northern California Forensic Dental Team.
Jones' office has requested the providers make every effort possible to locate the needed records. If those records can't be found, DNA testing will be required.
Federal and state agencies continue to investigate the crash, and on Thursday the California Highway Patrol released 911 calls and did a reenactment of the wreck near the crash site.
The CHP is asking for any witnesses or anyone with information about the crash – including photographs and video – to contact CHP Officer Lacey Heitman of the Northern Division Office, telephone 530-225-2715 or email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Witness accounts also can be sent to the National Transportation Safety Board, which has been on scene since last week, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.