Two separate accidents this past week claimed two lives and both incidents were investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
The first incident occurred on Thursday, Feb. 19 just before 3 p.m.
According to the CHP, they received a report of a crash on State Route 108/120 west of Kennedy Road near Knights Ferry. Emergency personnel arriving on scene located two vehicles with major crash damage. The driver of a 2013 Subaru sedan, listed only as a 48-year-old woman from Oakdale, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities had not released her identity as of Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 24.
Injured in the crash were a 28-year-old man from Ceres, who sustained major injuries. He was the driver of a 2019 Tesla sedan and three passengers in the Tesla also sustained major injuries; a 24-year-old woman from Manteca, a 26-year-old man from Modesto and a 28-year-old woman from Ceres.
The preliminary investigation indicated the driver of the Subaru was westbound on State Route 108/120 west of Kennedy Road while the Tesla was eastbound. The driver of the Subaru, for an unknown reason, crossed over the solid double yellow lines and directly into the path of the Tesla, resulting in a head on collision.
The driver and all three passengers in the Tesla were transported to the hospital with major injuries. All those involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, said the CHP. It was unknown if drugs and/or alcohol were contributing factors. The highway was closed temporarily to allow for the investigation.
The following day, Friday, Feb. 20, a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 4, east of Dunton Road, also resulted in a fatality.
The CHP received a call of that crash at about 2:19 p.m. Friday and emergency personnel arriving on scene located four vehicles with major crash damage.
According to the CHP report, a 28-year-old passenger in a 2025 Jeep SUV, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Iako King, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Jeep, a 24-year-old man from Antioch, sustained minor injuries. Three other passengers in the Jeep also had minor injuries and all were transported to the hospital.
A 51-year-old man from Angels Camp, driving a 2024 Tesla truck, sustained minor injuries. The driver of a 2021 Subaru sedan, a 38-year-old man from Oakland, was not injured and two passengers in that vehicle also escaped injury, including a one-year-old female.
A 53-year-old man from Copperopolis, driving a 2016 Hyundai SUV, was not injured and a passenger in his vehicle did not suffer any injuries as a result of the crash.
The preliminary CHP investigation indicated all the vehicles were traveling on Highway 4; the driver of the Jeep SUV was eastbound on the highway, east of Dunton Road and the driver of the Tesla truck was westbound on the highway. The driver of the Subaru sedan was eastbound and the driver of the Hyundai SUV was westbound.
The CHP reported noted the driver of the Jeep crossed over the solid double yellow lines, into the westbound traffic lane and began to overtake another vehicle. The Jeep then collided with the Tesla truck and the Jeep overturned onto its roof. The driver of the Tesla truck lost control and collided with the Subaru. The force of the impact detached a wheel from the Subaru, which then struck the Hyundai. The Subaru driver lost control of his vehicle and collided with a metal fence and then came to rest in a field.
All those involved were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. Alcohol and drugs were determined not to be a factor in the crash. State Route 4, east of Dunton Road, was closed for approximately three hours while the crash was under investigation.
