High school football player dies in crash with big rig in Fresno County
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A Washington Union High football player died Thursday evening in a crash with a big rig in Fresno County, according to California Highway Patrol.
It happened around 6:45 p.m. near Walnut and Jefferson avenues in Easton, just beyond the southern city limits of Fresno.
CHP said a big rig ran a stop sign while traveling northbound on Walnut and collided with a Dodge pickup truck that had the teenager inside and going westbound on Jefferson.
CHP officer Mike Salas said a 16-year-old boy died at the scene.
Washington Union officials later confirmed that the teen involved in the fatal crash was Ernesto Garin, a junior and a defensive end on the Panthers football team.
The site of the collision is less than two miles from the Washington Union campus, a high school with an enrollment of about 1,300 students. Friday’s home football game against Kingsburg was canceled and a memorial for Garin was planned for Friday at 6:45 p.m. at the Washington Union stadium.
Washington Union had concluded football practice prior to the crash.
Soon after the incident, several people rushed over and looked on in shock and dismay at the scene.
Washington Union coaches and football players regathered at the stadium.
Across the street from the football facility, a group of girls who had been practicing for a quinceanera in front of a house stopped and began consoling one another upon learning about the tragedy.
Perhaps the most somber sight of the crash aftermath occurred when a man who appeared to work for a tow truck company went inside the mangled Dodge pickup truck and retrieved a football jersey.
Then the man meticulously folded the jersey, walked over to a group of people being consoled near the scene and handed over the uniform to one of the individuals.
CHP said the driver of the big rig was not injured and was cooperating with investigators.
There were no signs of drugs or alcohol with either driver in the crash, CHP added.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 10:12 PM.