The fatal collision occurred near the intersection of McKinley Avenue and Fresno Street, close to Highway 41, at approximately 1:57 a.m. on Monday, April 6.
Fresno, CA – A mother and her 9-year-old son were killed following a two-vehicle crash on McKinley Avenue in Fresno early Monday morning, according to the Fresno Police Department.
The fatal collision occurred near the intersection of McKinley Avenue and Fresno Street, close to Highway 41, at approximately 1:57 a.m. on Monday, April 6.
Authorities said the crash happened when one vehicle ran a red light and collided with another car at the intersection. The impact pushed the second car into a nearby canal. Responding officers located one vehicle on the roadway with no occupants and another submerged in the canal with a woman trapped inside.
Officers pulled the woman from the vehicle and performed life-saving measures before she was transported to a hospital, where she later died. The woman has since been identified as Martha Hernandez, 41, of Fresno.
Hours later, the body of Hernandez’s 9-year-old son, Adrian Hernandez, who had been in the vehicle, was discovered approximately three miles downstream.
The driver responsible, identified as 22-year-old Timothy Seth Chavez, later turned himself in at the Fresno County Jail. He was taken into custody, transported to the Fresno Police Department, and interviewed by detectives. Chavez admitted involvement in the crash.
The crash prompted the closure of McKinley Avenue near Highway 41 for several hours as authorities conducted their investigation and worked at the scene. Emergency responders coordinated efforts to recover the victims and clear the wreckage.
The incident remains under investigation, and anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Fresno Police Department.