Man killed in Christmas Eve crash near Keyes identified as local brewer
A man who was killed in a Christmas Eve crash has been identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office.
Tyler Klaproth, 40, died in a single-vehicle crash on southbound Highway 99 around 1 a.m. Saturday when his vehicle left the road and hit a tree. The SUV he was driving went off the west edge of 99, near Keyes Road, and into a dirt and grass area before crashing, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Klaproth was a resident of Rancho Cordova but, according to public records, he grew up in Turlock and graduated from Turlock High and Stanislaus State University. Klaproth, known to his friends as TK, was the first employee and head brewer at Blaker Brewing company in Ceres when it opened in 2019.
“He worked in that role for 2 years mentoring our team and showing his dedication to local craft beer,” Blaker Brewing owner Tom Lucas said in a text. “He made many close connections with our staff and other local breweries. TK and his brews were a lynchpin toward fostering a more established brewing presence in the Central Valley.”
Klaproth most recently worked at Claimstake Brewing in Rancho Cordova.
A post on Modesto’s Food Fix restaurant and food truck’s Facebook page said Klaproth “was and is part of the heart and soul of Food Fix and one of our very best friends.”
“He championed us on through opening, cheered us on through every success, sung our praises to anyone who would listen and helped to make our beer list what it is,” the post says.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed it or may have seen the driver and vehicle beforehand is asked to call the CHP Modesto office at 209-545-7440.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 3:13 PM.
