Stockton City Manager Johnny Ford was involved in a tragic incident last week when his vehicle struck two pedestrians, resulting in one fatality and leaving another in critical condition; however, Ford has been found not at fault by police, as reported by ABC10. The collision occurred last Thursday near the intersection of El Dorado Street and Poplar Street, where the two men were hit just before 7:20 p.m., the investigation ongoing, with law enforcement citing California Vehicle Code section 21954(a) that requires pedestrians to yield to vehicles when outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
While Ford, driving his personal SUV, reportedly remained on the scene to cooperate with authorities, which included taking a breathalyzer test that showed no alcohol present, there have been mixed reactions from the community, including from the victims' family, "He was a very humble man," Joe Victor Serna, the son of the deceased victim, told CBS News, describing his father who had lost his leg previously and was taken care of by the other victim, his brother and caretaker, and also from Natalie Olmos, Joe's daughter-in-law, who said, "We grew up here in Stockton. Our families have, we've had businesses here in Stockton. We reside here. We love Stockton and, regardless if this gentleman is a city official, he is still liable for a deadly accident."
The Stockton Police Department elaborated that following the collision, their Traffic Unit and a Major Case Investigator responded to the scene; additionally, a deputy district attorney and members of the Victim Witness Unit from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office were dispatched to aid the investigation. Police initially reported the incident involved a city employee but named Johnny Ford as the driver in the subsequent update.
"The investigation indicates that this was a tragic, unforeseeable accident with no criminal liability. It is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly lives can be altered, and how deeply such events affect everyone connected to them," officials expressed in a statement shared by CBS News, Ford's history with the city, which includes his termination in 2009 over an incident involving Stockton Arena tickets that later exonerated him, which led to a settlement, and his reappointment in November 2025 as the city manager, a role that has placed him in the public eye amidst these unfortunate circumstances.
