A Fresno family of five, including 4-year-old twin sisters, was killed along with another driver in a fiery crash on a Mojave Desert highway last Friday as they headed to a family graduation in Arizona. The collision on State Route 62 left six people dead at the scene and turned a quiet stretch of desert road into an active investigation. Relatives already in Arizona for the celebration were left waiting for a family that would never arrive, as authorities worked to identify the victims and a fundraiser quickly went online.
Crash On SR-62
The family’s vehicle was reportedly t-boned by another car and then burst into flames, according to ABC7. First responders found multiple victims at the site, and traffic on the remote highway was shut down for hours while crews secured the scene and began their investigation.
Victims Identified
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office identified the dead as Sergio Leon, 38, his wife, Herminia Hernandez, 39, Sergio’s brother, Antonio Leon, 36, and the couple’s 4-year-old twins, Naomi and Nyah. The office also identified the driver of the other vehicle as 60-year-old Holly Chafey. All six were pronounced dead at the scene, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner.
Family Reaction And Fundraiser
A cousin told Fresno station FOX26 that relatives who had already arrived for the graduation grew alarmed as the hours went by and there was still no sign of Sergio and his family. “We had family members starting to arrive... Sergio, Antonio, Naya, Naomi, and Mini never showed up,” she said to FOX26.
A GoFundMe created by a relative describes the fundraiser as covering funeral and urgent expenses. It had raised more than $24,700 as of the page’s most recent update, per GoFundMe.
Where It Happened
The crash occurred on eastbound State Route 62 near Cadiz Road in the unincorporated community of Freda, a remote stretch of the Mojave Desert about 40 miles west of the Arizona state line and east of Joshua Tree National Park, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Investigators say the location’s isolation complicated the initial rescue and recovery effort.
Investigation Ongoing
The California Highway Patrol and the San Bernardino County Coroner's Office say the crash remains under investigation and have not yet released a preliminary collision report, according to the county coroner's case listings. Officials have asked anyone with information or possible dash-cam footage from the area to contact the CHP as they work to piece together how the deadly collision unfolded.
