Fourth family member — 14-year-old boy — dies from Turlock crash injuries. Sister is stable
A 14-year-old boy who was critically injured in a two-car collision Sunday near Turlock has died from his injuries, and his 19-year-old sister remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit, a family member said.
“I don’t know how this could happen; it doesn’t make any sense,” said Jason McClelland, whose sister, a Ceres schoolteacher, was among the five people to die as a result of the collision.
The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the high-speed crash, which was Sunday morning at the intersection of Lander and Greenway avenues.
Daniel Lourenco, 44, and Jennifer Lourenco, 45, were pronounced dead at the scene, and their 16-year-old daughter, Madelyn, died later at a hospital. The Lourencos’ son, Matthew, died Thursday night. His organs were donated as a gift of life for others, McClelland said.
The other driver in the crash, 22-year-old Uriel Guizar-Negrete of Modesto, also was pronounced dead at the crash scene. A GoFundMe is raising donations for memorial services in California and in Washington, where Guizar-Negrete will be laid to rest.
The only surviving member of the Lourenco family, Emma, 19, is still fighting for her life, though her condition has been relatively stable, her uncle said. Emma graduated from Turlock’s Pitman High School this past year and was attending Stanislaus State University as an animal science major.
Younger sister Madelyn, known as Maddie, was a junior who was looking forward to Pitman’s winter formal, her uncle said.
McClelland said Matthew was a high-energy youth who enjoyed soccer and wrestling and joined the cross-country team as a freshman at Pitman High. Whatever he did in life, he went all in, McClelland said.
“One solace is they believe they can save five kids’ lives with his vital organs,” his uncle said of Matthew. “That gives us a little bit of comfort.”
In the days since the devastating crash, family and friends have been at Emma’s side in the hospital ICU, where she lies sedated.
Members of the family are overwhelmed by a generous outpouring of support from the community, McClelland said. About 1,000 monetary donations have poured in. A GoFundMe account established by Jennifer Lourenco’s co-workers is accepting donations to help with funeral expenses and medical costs. As of Friday afternoon, people had donated almost $40,000.
McClelland said Emma may need extensive long-term care and medical rehabilitation to recover from her injuries.
Dan Lourenco, a Turlock native, was a gentle and quick-witted man and a devoted husband and father, an obituary said. He studied computer science at Stanislaus State and went on to work for Turlock Irrigation District from 2015 to 2022. He was employed at E.&J. Gallo Winery.
His family members were immigrants from the Azores in the 1970s. Dan and Jennifer took a long-awaited trip to the Azores in June to look up relatives of his family, McClelland said.
Jennifer was from an Irish Catholic background, and together the couple had a large extended family that is mourning the terrible loss.
Teacher worked with students on the spectrum
Jennifer was a special education teacher at Sinclear Elementary School in Ceres and was named the school’s Teacher of the Year in 2023-24.
McClelland said she was dedicated to students on the autism spectrum and wanted the best outcome for those students. A nurse at the hospital this week approached family members to let them know the difference Jennifer had made in her son’s life.
“She said her son was nonverbal, but he would speak with Jennifer and let her touch his hair,” McClelland said. “She gave her all to make sure these kids are all they can be.”
The family was on its way to Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Turlock, around 9:30 a.m., when the collision occurred. The CHP said the Lourencos’ 2023 Jeep was broadsided by a 2008 Infiniti traveling at a high rate of speed. There are stop signs on Greenway but not on Lander. The Jeep entered the intersection in front of the Infiniti, which struck its left side.
Turlock Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for services next week. Visitation and viewing, which is open to the public, will be Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Turlock Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 425 N. Soderquist Road. A funeral Mass and rosary, also open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 2602 S. Walnut Road.
A GoFundMe to help cover expenses is at https://gofundme/565c6cc5.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 4:04 PM.
