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Timothy Seth Chavez was charged with four felonies, including vehicular homicide.Chavez turned himself in 19 hours after the crash and was ordered held without bail.The crash occurred April 6 when Chavez ran a red light, killing Martha Hernandez and her son Adrian Hernandez.

A 22-year-old Fresno man is facing four felony charges, including vehicular manslaughter, for the hit-and-run crash that killed a 41-year-old mother and her 9-year-old son in the early morning hours of April 6.

Timothy Seth Chavez, who turned himself in to authorities 19 hours after the double-fatal collision near McKinley Avenue and Fresno Street, remained in the Fresno County jail on Friday.

A Fresno County Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered that Chavez be held without bail. He is due to be arraigned April 23.

Chavez is charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, with death or permanent serious injury.

If convicted on all charges, he faces nine years and four months in prison.

Fresno police said the crash happened at about 2 a.m. when Chavez, who was driving a Dodge SUV, ran a red light at the central Fresno intersection, slamming into a Honda Pilot driven by Martha Hernandez. Also in the car was her 9-year-old son Adrian.

The force of the crash sent Hernandez’s car across multiple lanes, over a median and into a nearby canal where first responders were able to pull Hernandez, the driver, from her Honda. She later died at the hospital.

Adrian Hernandez’s body was carried down the canal and pulled from the water about 3 miles from the crash site.

The day of the crash, Martha Hernandez and her son were returning home from celebrating Easter in Madera. Hernandez worked at a nail salon in Clovis.

Court records show Chavez does not have a felony arrest record. He was charged with one misdemeanor in June 2025 for having a concealed weapon, but that case was dismissed.

Family and friends gather to remember Martha Hernandez and her 9-year-old son at Chosen Salon in Clovis, where she worked. The pair were killed early Monday in a hit-and-run crash that thrust their car into a Fresno canal. Family and friends gather to remember Martha Hernandez and her 9-year-old son at Chosen Salon in Clovis, where she worked. The pair were killed early Monday in a hit-and-run crash that thrust their car into a Fresno canal. NICK FENLEY nfenley@fresnobee.com A 9-year-old boy was pulled from a Fresno canal on Monday, April 6, 2026 after the vehicle he was in with his mother submerged near Fresno Street at McKinley Avenue. A 9-year-old boy was pulled from a Fresno canal on Monday, April 6, 2026 after the vehicle he was in with his mother submerged near Fresno Street at McKinley Avenue. ANTHONY GALAVIZ agalaviz@fresnobee.com A woman died after her vehicle went into a Fresno, California canal on Monday, April 6, 2026. A woman died after her vehicle went into a Fresno, California canal on Monday, April 6, 2026. ANTHONY GALAVIZ agalaviz@fresnobee.com
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Robert Rodriguez

The Fresno Bee

A Valley native, Robert has worked at The Fresno Bee since 1994, covering various topics including education, business, courts and agriculture.