Update: Seven injured in triple-fatal collision in Maxwell

Old Highway 99 W north of Maxwell was closed more than three hours Tuesday as the California Highway Patrol untangled the cause of a collision that killed three people and injured seven others.

The wreck occurred shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Old Highway 99W north of Maxwell at the Interstate 5 off-ramp, the CHP reported.

The names of those killed have still not been released.

According to the CHP, the driver of a 2003 Nissan Sentra sedan exited southbound I-5 and pulled onto County Road 99W directly into the path of a southbound 1989 Ford Aerostar minivan. The van's driver, Edwin Rodriguez, of Yuba City, tried to avoid the collision by veering left and braking.

The van hit the car on the driver's side, killing the Nissan's driver, a 24-year-old Thousand Palms woman, the CHP reported. A passenger in the Nissan, Chris Alalinas, 22, of Sky Valley, sustained moderate injuries and was taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico, according to the CHP.

The van overturned and came to rest in the northbound lane. Two passengers in the van, a man and a woman from Yuba City, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Rodriguez was airlifted to Enloe along with an unidentified female passenger from Yuba City. Both remained in Enloe's trauma unit overnight Tuesday.

Norma Perez, 38, of Yuba City, was flown to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento with a life-threatening head injury. She was listed in good condition on Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Other passengers in the van were Marcelo C. Garcia, 29, Alejandro C. Garcia, 33, and Sandra Cazarez, 18, all of Yuba City.

The three were transported to Colusa Regional Medical Center. From there, Alejandro Garcia was transferred to Enloe and remained in the emergency room while Marcelo Garcia remained at Colusa. Cazarez was treated and released.

Those in the minivan are believed to be field laborers at melon farms north of Maxwell, according to CHP Officer Bob Kays.