Update: Woman who died in burning car after downtown Modesto crash is ID’d by coroner

A woman died in fiery crash in downtown Modesto early Tuesday afternoon, the Police Department reported. She was identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Angela Mora, 59, of Modesto.

Police officers and other emergency responders were dispatched at about 12:25 p.m. to a report of a collision on Washington Street near K Street, Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said in an email Wednesday morning. They found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames.

Mora died in the vehicle, according to the Modesto Fire Department.

The preliminary investigation determined that Mora was going west on K Street when she was involved in a collision at the Sixth Street intersection. She did not stop but rather continued westbound on K Street and lost control at Fourth Street and struck a tree on the west curb line of Washington Street.

A Modesto Fire Department incident summary says the vehicle also struck a parked car. It says the vehicle fire extended to a fence and was threatening the adjacent residence. Crews quickly knocked down the fire before it could reach the home.

Because the involved vehicle was battery powered, a Tesla, the department’s hazardous-materials team isolated the area and tested the residual runoff water to ensure it was not contaminated.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The Police Department encourages anyone who witnessed the collision or has information related to the case to contact Officer Beverson at Beversonj@modestopd.com

This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 5:33 PM.