Merced County, CA (August 13, 2026) – A head-on crash on Sycamore Street, north of Bloss Avenue, killed an 83-year-old woman from Delhi, California, and injured another driver, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash was reported at 9:47 a.m. on August 13, 2026. CHP officers said 33-year-old Jose Perez Hernandez, of Turlock, drove into oncoming traffic and struck an SUV head-on.
The driver of the SUV was hurt, officers said. The 83-year-old Delhi woman, a passenger in the SUV, died at the hospital.
CHP said Hernandez fled the scene after the crash. He was found in a nearby orchard and arrested. He is now in jail, accused of causing the fatal crash while driving under the influence, according to CHP.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
A crash that takes an 83-year-old woman’s life while she rode as a passenger demands real accountability, starting with a careful look at what put an allegedly impaired driver on the wrong side of the road that morning.
Drunk Driving Accidents in California, CA
When CHP identifies a driver as impaired, families are often left waiting on a slow-moving criminal case for answers, even though a civil claim for damages does not have to wait on that process.
- Request the official CHP report once it is released, including any confirmed toxicology or blood alcohol results
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with a California car accident attorney.
- Preserve evidence quickly, including the crash scene on Sycamore Street, vehicle damage, and any nearby business or dashcam footage
- Do not accept a settlement offer before the full extent of the injuries and the family’s losses have been evaluated
A civil claim against Hernandez runs separately from the criminal case, and it does not depend on a conviction to move forward. California law also allows a civil claim to pursue punitive damages when a driver’s impairment can be proven, in addition to compensation for medical bills, lost income, and wrongful death damages. A California wrongful death attorney can help the family understand what a claim like this is worth.
Under California law, the SUV driver generally has two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury claim under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, and the passenger’s family generally has two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim under Section 377.60. For this crash, both deadlines fall on August 13, 2028.
Contact Our DUI Accident Attorneys
Losing a family member to a driver who chose to drive impaired is devastating, and the family deserves real accountability, not just a criminal case working through the system on its own timeline.
Our Sacramento DUI accident attorney team has represented fatal DUI crashes throughout Northern California since 20026. A civil claim against Hernandez can move forward on its own timeline and does not depend on the outcome of his criminal case.
Skid marks on Sycamore Street, the SUV’s damage, and any nearby dashcam or business footage of the crash and Hernandez’s flight into the orchard will not stay available for long, so preserving that evidence now protects the family’s claim.
We work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost to speak with us, and your family owes nothing unless we recover on your behalf.
Call (844) 764-2526 now to speak with us. We’ll help your family understand what a wrongful death and injury claim like this is worth, and what filing one involves.
