Three people were critically injured following a violent two-vehicle crash early Friday at an intersection near Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
Police responded to reports of the collision at Dakota and Chestnut avenues just after midnight from 911 callers describing a severe crash, Fresno Police Lt. Michael Pierce said.
When officers arrived, they found two heavily damaged vehicles and a large debris field spread across the intersection.
Investigators said one vehicle wrapped around a utility pole, while the second crashed through a perimeter fence and came to rest inside airport property.
Emergency crews located three victims.
Pierce said two were inside the vehicle on the road, including one person ejected during the crash.
A third victim was found trapped inside the vehicle that ended up on the airport grounds.
Fire and EMS personnel provided aid at the scene before taking all three victims to Community Regional Medical Center, where they were listed in very critical condition. The suspect was in stable condition.
The crash left a significant amount of wreckage scattered across the area, complicating both the investigation and cleanup efforts, police said.
Authorities responded to a crash near the Fresno airport on Friday, April 10, 2026. ANTHONY GALAVIZ agalaviz@fresnobee.com
Pierce said several witnesses remained on scene, though many did not see the crash occur and arrived shortly afterward. Due to the severity of the incident, a collision reconstruction unit took over the investigation.
Drivers are urged to avoid the area and find alternate routes during the morning commute.
Police said it was too soon// to determine whether alcohol or other factors played a role in the crash, though that remained under investigation.
Officers are also working with airport police to review surveillance footage that may help determine what led up to the collision.
Pierce confirmed that the vehicle on the road carried a man and woman, while the vehicle that entered airport property was driven by a man.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Fresno Airport Police, Fresno Police Department and Fresno Fire Department responded after a vehicle collided with another car and went through an airport fence on Friday, April 10, 2026. ANTHONY GALAVIZ agalaviz@fresnobee.com
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 9:24 AM.
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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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