Merced County, CA (September 14, 2025) – Two individuals died in a fatal two-vehicle collision on Highway 59 in Merced County Sunday night. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed the crash occurred just after 11 p.m. south of Washington Road.
A 28-year-old Atwater woman, identified as Susana Esquivel, was driving a 2019 Toyota Camry southbound on Highway 59. Concurrently, a 29-year-old San Jose man, identified as Tyler Jackson, drove a 2016 Toyota Camry northbound. For unknown reasons, Esquivel’s Camry crossed the painted broken center line into the northbound lane, directly in Jackson’s path.
Susana Esquivel and Tyler Jackson were both pronounced dead at the scene. The fatal crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.