Two brothers who went missing three weeks ago were found dead along a California highway last week, the victims of a vehicle crash, according to authorities.
On June 25 around 10:30 a.m., a California Department of Transportation employee found an overturned vehicle concealed in heavy brush in an embankment along State Route 166 near Old Sierra Madre Road, east of Santa Maria, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.
CHP and emergency services responded to the scene and found a blue 1998 GMC Sierra pickup truck, according to the release. Two men died in the crash, authorities confirmed.
The vehicle is linked to a missing person case handled by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the release states. CHP officers were deployed on June 18 along State Route 166 to find the missing people.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that two individuals tragically lost their lives in a traffic crash. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with their families and loved ones during this difficult time,” CHP acting Cmdr. Sean Kelly said in the release.
The two men were 61-year-old James Fuller and his brother, Eric Fuller, 60, who left June 6 for a doctor’s appointment in Santa Maria, according to SFGate. They were reported missing by friends.
Friends and family of the brothers confirmed that their loved ones were killed in the crash.
“For 21 long days we searched tirelessly. We hiked what we could, followed every lead, and even received a message from someone who said they saw the truck near a sharp turn,” according to a GoFundMe page. “Still, without a pinpoint location, CHP was unable to search due to looking a few days prior with no luck. The wait, the helplessness, the pain — it’s been devastating beyond words.”
“This is not the outcome any of us prayed for. Our hearts are broken. Rick and Eric were so deeply loved, and their loss leaves an unfillable space in our lives.”