A Denair woman and her daughter both lost their lives in a head-on collision Wednesday morning.

The deceased were identified as Kristie Wight, 48, of Denair and her daughter, Cheyenne Wight, 16, of Denair.

Cheyenne Wight was a junior at Denair Charter Academy. DCA Principal Breanne Aguiar broke the news of her death to students and staff in an email Thursday morning.

“It brings me great sadness to inform you that one of your fellow classmates was involved in a fatal car accident yesterday morning,” Aguiar wrote. “Cheyenne Wight was an amazing student, friend, sister and aunt. She always wore a smile and was always there for others. Many of you had the honor of knowing Cheyenne. Some will remember her as you walked to and from classes; others may not have known her at all. Regardless of your connection, it is always difficult to say goodbye to a student and fellow classmate.”

The school district brought grief counselors to the DCA campus for any students who wished to talk with someone. In her note, Aguiar also mentioned the district’s partnership with Jessica’s House.

The DCA campus observed a moment of silence for Cheyenne Wight on Friday.

“Cheyenne will be missed by the students and staff of DCA and we send our deepest condolences to the family,” Aguiar said.

The collision was reported to the CHP at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday and happened on Santa Fe Avenue, just south of E. Keyes Road.

Kristie Wight was driving a 2011 Chevrolet SUV southbound on Santa Fe Avenue.

Michael Perales, 39, of Turlock was driving a 2017 Dodge Ram flatbed truck northbound on Santa Fe Avenue.

The two vehicles were both approaching E. Keyes Road from opposite directions, when for an unknown reason, the Chevrolet SUV drifted into the northbound lane, directly into the path of the flatbed truck.

The two vehicles collided head-on. The force of the impact sent both vehicles to the east shoulder and they came to rest in a northerly direction, the CHP reported.

The SUV had major damage and emergency personnel rushed the pair to Memorial Medical Center, where they both died from their injuries.

Perales sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Doctors Medical Center.

It was determined that neither the mother or daughter were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision, said CHP spokesman Thomas Olsen.

“It is unknown at this time if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to this collision,” Olsen said.

The investigation also is looking at information that the Chevy was involved in some incident of road rage in the area, just prior to the collision.

A GoFundMe account has been started to help the family pay for funeral expenses. It can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/kristie-and-cheynne-wight?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_medium=os&utm_source=customer.