Update: Driver dies following weekend crash in northern Stanislaus County
A three-vehicle collision Friday in the northern tip of Stanislaus County, at Milton Road and Highway 4, left one person dead, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash was around noon.
The Modesto Fire Department reported that Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies arrived first and found a Jeep Compass with major damage. The driver still was inside but not trapped. Emergency crews provided advanced life support before the driver was flown to a local hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
The driver, 38-year-old Jorge Lugo Rojas of Concord, died at the hospital Saturday, according to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office.
The driver of a Ford pickup, Samuel Schwartzenberger, a 47-year-old Hathaway Pines resident, suffered minor injuries.
Preliminary investigation indicates Rojas was northbound on Milton Road and either stopped at the posted stop sign or rolled through it without yielding to through traffic.
Mark Carter, 67, of Brentwood was driving a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee east on State Route 4, while Schwartzenberger was driving a 2000 Ford pickup west. Rojas entered the intersection into the path of both vehicles, resulting in a broadside collision that struck Rojas’ Jeep on both sides.
The three vehicles came to rest within the intersection. All involved parties were wearing seatbelts, and drugs or alcohol do not appear to have been factors.
The intersection was closed temporarily during the investigation, with one-way traffic control in place and minimal delays to motorists.
This story was originally published August 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM.
