2 dead, 2 teenagers arrested after accident in Tulare, police say

TULARE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Two people died and two teenagers were arrested following a traffic accident involving a stolen car in Tulare on Saturday, according to Tulare police.

According to police, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Bardsley Avenue and O Street around 4:30 a.m. on June 15 for a traffic accident.

When officers arrived, they found two vehicles involved in the crash, a 2005 Nissan Sentra and a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The Nissan was in the drive-thru of a Burger King northbound on Bardsley Avenue. The Hyundai was in the northbound lanes of O Street south of Bardsley Avenue.

According to police, they found a 35-year-old man dead in the driver’s seat of the Nissan. The 43-year-old passenger in the Nissan was rushed to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Officers said they learned the Hyundai had been reported stolen in Visalia. Three men were found near the Hyundai – a 17-year-old juvenile from Goshen and two 18-year-olds identified as Jose Alfredo Encizo of Tulare and Emanuel Montoya of Goshen.

The teen was identified as the driver of the Hyundai and was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle while under the influence, according to officials. Encizo was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. Montoya required additional medical treatment and police say he will face charges for possession of a stolen vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Traffic Patrolman Ryan Yates at 559-685-2300, extension 2143.