The fatal crash occurred shortly after 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, on eastbound State Route 62 near the city of Freda.
San Bernardino County, CA – Five members of a Fresno family were killed in a fiery multi-vehicle collision on State Route 62 near Freda while traveling to Arizona for a relative’s college graduation late last month, according to the California Highway Patrol and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The fatal crash occurred shortly after 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, on eastbound State Route 62 near the city of Freda.
Investigators said a vehicle reportedly entered a lane and struck the rear of a truck before moving perpendicular into the path of another vehicle occupied by the Fresno family. Authorities said the family’s vehicle then collided broadside with the other car, causing the vehicles to burst into flames.
The victims were identified as Sergio Leon, Antonio Leon, Hermina Hernandez, and 4-year-old twin girls Nyah Leon and Naomi Leon. According to authorities and family members, all five occupants inside the family’s vehicle were killed in the collision. Sergio Leon was driving the vehicle with the four family members as passengers.
Another driver, identified as Holly Chafey, a 60-year-old resident of Desert Hot Springs, was also killed in the crash.
The cause of the Freda crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Emergency crews responded to the scene shortly after the collision was reported and remained in the area while investigators processed evidence and worked to identify the victims.
The collision caused major traffic disruption along State Route 62 as authorities conducted the on-scene investigation and cleared the wreckage from the roadway.
The incident remains under investigation.