Fresno County, CA – On the evening of Friday, May 23, 2025, 23-year-old Elias Mayeda of Pacific Grove suffered fatal injuries in a single-vehicle crash after his car entered a canal, according to The Fresno Bee.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that the accident took place around 8:20 PM near Highway 180, east of Zumwalt Avenue.
Authorities say a Honda Accord traveling eastbound on Highway 180 veered off the roadway onto the south dirt shoulder before plunging into the Friant-Kern Canal. The vehicle became fully submerged upside down in the canal’s cold, fast-moving water.
Emergency responders from multiple agencies, including the Fresno Fire Department Dive Team, arrived at the scene and located the vehicle underwater. Around 10:00 PM, dive crews recovered Mayeda’s body from inside the car. No other victims were found after a downstream search.
Family members told investigators that Mayeda had been on a phone call at the time of the crash, which ended abruptly just before impact.
The cause remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet determined whether drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.
Single-Vehicle Collisions
In some cases, investigations may reveal that even in a single-vehicle accident, nearby drivers or unsafe road features share some responsibility. California’s Comparative Negligence rule means that, even if those injured in accidents are found partially at fault, they may still be eligible to receive partial compensation for damages.
