CHP officials say at the intersection the SUV drove "directly in the path of the big rig" around 6:15 a.m. The semitruck struck the left side of the SUV, which appeared to have been pushed off the road. Investigators were trying to determine if the SUV first stopped at the stop sign before entering the intersection.
The driver of the SUV, who was among those killed, was described as a 22-year-old man from Mexicali. Information about the occupants of the SUV, including where they were traveling to and from and why there were so many in one vehicle, is still under investigation.