Authorities have identified the two victims who died Saturday via a three-vehicle crash in Madera County.
Marcos Hernandez Perez of Madera, 26, and Leslany Santoyo of Merced, 23, were killed in a crash near Highways 41 and 145.
Perez was driving a Dodge Challenger westbound on Highway 145 with Santoyo in the passenger seat. Authorities say Perez lost control of his vehicle after overcorrecting and veered directly into a 33-year-old man driving eastbound in a Honda CR-V.
After the initial crash, a Honda Accord traveling westbound crashed into the CR-V. The Honda Accord driver, 25, briefly stopped with his passenger, a 23-year-old man, before one of the men fled the scene, leaving the other behind.
Perez and Santoyo were both wearing seatbelts and died on the scene, and the 33-year-old man driving the CR-V was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.
Authorities arrested the man who fled in the Honda Accord on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving under the influence.
Later, on Monday, further investigation by California Highway Patrol revealed the man who fled the scene was actually the passenger at the time of the crash. The man who was left at the scene, initially believed to have been the passenger, was subsequently arrested for the charges.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 5:46 PM.