IDENTIFIED: Woman killed after Harley-Davidson and tractor crash in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The woman who was killed in a crash against a tractor has been identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Friday.

The coroner’s office identified the woman as 47-year-old Melissa Griffin of Tranquility. She was the passenger on a Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle that collided with a tractor in Fresno County.

Officers with the California Highway Patrol responded to the area of Colorado Avenue, just north of Sumner Avenue, on Thursday at 9:15 p.m. after receiving reports of a fatal traffic collision.

Officers say Griffin was being carried on a Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle, driven by a man, traveling southbound on Colorado Avenue. A John Deere tractor pulling a tank trailer was traveling in front of them. The tractor was operating lawfully with an implement of husbandry emblem and all required lights activated.

The man attempted to pass a John Deere tractor pulling a tank trailer by using the west shoulder of the roadway. However, the motorcycle ended up drifting further onto the shoulder, colliding with the rear of the tractor.

Both the driver and the passenger were ejected from the motorcycle. Griffin was pronounced deceased at the scene and the male driver was airlifted to a hospital after sustaining major injuries. His status is unknown at this time.