The crash occurred just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, December 4, on Highway 145.
Madera County, CA – A woman died, and two others were hospitalized after a traffic collision involving a driver making a U-turn on a highway in Madera County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, December 4, on Highway 145.
CHP said a 22-year-old woman driving a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta attempted to make a U-turn from the right shoulder and entered the path of an oncoming 2022 Volkswagen Taos.
The Taos was driven by a 62-year-old man and had a 77-year-old female passenger.
Both vehicles collided, sustaining major damage in the collision.
All occupants involved were transported to Community Regional Medical Center for treatment. The female passenger later died at the hospital, CHP confirmed.
Authorities stated that alcohol and drugs are not believed to have contributed to the crash.
The incident remains under investigation.
Madera County, California, a rural Central Valley region with major routes like Highway 99 and State Route 145, faces elevated traffic safety risks, particularly on agricultural roads and highways. Between 2020 and 2023, the Madera area recorded 106 traffic deaths, according to California Highway Patrol reports. Notable incidents include a February 2024 head-on collision that killed eight people (seven farmworkers and one other driver) on Avenue 7, one of the county’s deadliest crashes. Additional fatalities occurred in 2024 and 2025, involving big rigs, DUI suspicions, rollovers, and head-on impacts. Thousands of injury collisions happen annually regionally, driven by speeding, impaired driving, distractions, and rural road hazards. OTS-funded enforcement and grants aim to address these persistent challenges amid farming traffic and growth.
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