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Cal Poly student killed in fiery crash near Cholame Y

May 8, 2018

Iriana Pina

A 22-year-old woman who died in a fiery head-on crash with a semi truck last week was a Cal Poly engineering student.

Iriana Pina, from Kettleman City, was driving a Ford Mustang northbound on Highway 41 near the Cholame Y on April 30 when she veered into the southbound lanes about one mile south of the Kern County line. She then crashed head-on into an oncoming truck.

After Pina’s Mustang collided with the big rig, the truck jackknifed and caught on fire. The fire spread into nearby vegetation and burned about 1.5 acres. The truck driver emerged uninjured from the crash.

Pina was a student in Cal Poly’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and she reportedly worked at Tulare Lake Compost in Kettleman City. A GoFundMe page, set up to raise money for her family, describes Pina as a bright and shining star.

“She was a bright and shining star and had a wonderful future ahead of her with so much to look forward to,” the page says. “She approached life with a spirit like no other. No challenge was too great. No job was impossible. She was smart, funny, clever and beautiful. She will be greatly missed.”

As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe campaign has raised a total of $5,840. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is also accepting donations in room 13-266.


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This highway has been a killer for yrs. and I drove it everyday for yrs lucky to make it.Stupid government builds useless train first and passes law to install solar panels on houses to protect environment first before making our roads safer. Vote these idiots out that put the people they serve at the bottom of the list and put people in for the people.


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It’s good news work is finally planned to hopefully prevent more of these accidents. Too bad Sacramento stole highway funds for years and it wasn’t done sooner.


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Prayers for her family.


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Drove by the scene of this accident the other day, not sure I would say it is near the Cholame “Y”, its at least 5 miles from the “Y”. The accident had nothing to do with traffic navigating through the “Y”, it happened at a point where a passing lane is ending, likely that had more to do with the accident.


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Sad, maybe Jerry Brown needs his Bullshit train from the central coast to Bako & Fresno instead.


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CHP informed me recently that funding for two Hwy projects have been secured, and with a lot of the credit going towards Jordan Cunningham.

A flyover for this section of road on 46/41 ( just like they did by Casa de Fruits), so no one needs to turn in front of oncoming traffic. The second project is an underpass for the SanPaso truck intersection by San Miguel–which where the highest of percentage of wrecks occur.


While he is not the culture warrior most on this site would prefer–he is called a RINO by most who post about him. I prefer to call him effective.

Fixing things for the benefit of all should be the goal of any elected official.

Jordan seems to understand this fact and has the results to prove it.

Hopefully this will be the last article about tragedy at the Y–and needless loss of life.


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Is this funding based on the new gas tax, which hopefully will be voted down this fall. Government bodies shouldn’t spend money based on projected revenue, how about spending it on actual revenue. I understand state revenue from pot sales in liek 30% or projected but agency’s already spent their take based on projected revenue, now what, certainly not firing any of those new people hired or cutting expenses.


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Actually I heard a rumor to pay for it was a sin tax on; cheetos, funions, mountain due, red bull, and cheese whiz. You know, valley fun foods.

I’ll take the fix to the Y no matter what funding source they find.


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This is very sad news when a life with such promise is cut short. Condolences to the family.


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