Oakdale boy, 7, killed in crash southeast of Denair in Merced County
A 7-year-old boy from Oakdale was killed in a three-vehicle collision southeast of Denair on Sunday night, according to the California Highway Patrol. Four others in the vehicle with the boy — two adults and two children — suffered moderate to major injuries.
The crash occurred about 9:20 p.m. at Turlock and Oakdale roads in Merced County.
The child, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Drayden Drake, was a passenger in a 2011 Cadillac SUV driven by Tasjuan Drake, 28, of Oakdale, said CHP Merced office spokesman Officer Eric Zuniga.
Drake was driving north on Oakdale Road, approaching Turlock Road. Traffic on Oakdale has the right of way, Zuniga said, while drivers on Turlock Road have stop signs at the intersection.
Driving a 2015 Toyota Tacoma, 35-year-old Ripon resident Daniel Donham was in the southbound lane of Oakdale, waiting for the Cadillac to pass before making an eastbound turn onto Turlock Road, Zuniga said, citing findings of the preliminary investigation.
And in the third vehicle, a 2013 Ford Fusion, 58-year-old Catherine Brehm of Coulterville was eastbound on Turlock Road. After stopping at the intersection, she pulled out into the path of the oncoming Cadillac, Zuniga said.
Medical responders performed CPR on Drayden Drake, who was sitting in a rear middle seat and appears not to have been properly restrained, Zuniga said. The boy was taken to Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, where he died of his injuries.
Tasjuan Drake and right front passenger Heather Hill, 25 and also from Oakdale, both suffered major injuries and were taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.
The two other children in the SUV, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, were taken to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera for treatment of moderate injuries, Zuniga said.
Donham was not injured. The CHP said that Donham was not injured and that Brehm reported no injuries at the scene. But her son told The Bee she had been rushed to the hospital and was in stable condition after two emergency surgeries.
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 7:35 AM.
