21-year-old ID’d as 1 of 2 killed in alleged DUI crash on New Year’s Eve in Madera

A 21-year-old woman has been identified as one of two people killed in a New Year’s Eve crash on Avenue 13 in Madera.

Isabella Marlene Nevarez died after being thrown from an SUV that hit the trailer of a Freightliner truck in the intersection of Avenue 13 and Road 23, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Nevarez’s death on Monday.

On Tuesday, it confirmed second victim as 28-year-old D’Jaton Cortez Williams, a Madera resident originally from Chicago. That confirmation had been withheld pending notification to next of kin.

Three others were injured in the crash, according to CHP, including a 31-year-old man who was driving the SUV and failed to stop at a posted sign.

That man is suspected of driving under the influence at the time of the crash. Due to his injures, he wasn’t arrested but released to the hospital, where he currently remains, CHP said.

The agency will recommend felony DUI charges once the driver is released from the hospital.

Who is Isabella Nevarez (Villegas)?

Nevarez, whose maiden name was Villegas, is remembered as the life of her family, “the one who brought laughter, joy and warmth into every room.”

In messages to The Bee on Monday, the family said, “Isabella had a way of making people feel seen and cared for and that’s how we will always remember her.”

Nevarez graduated from Madera County Independent Academy in 2022 and was attending Madera Community College. She often helped her parents with bookkeeping work at Western Transportation Systems, a trucking permitting company in Madera. “She would love to help out around work here,” the family said.

“She was working toward her goals with determination and hope and we were all so proud of her,” they wrote.

“It breaks our heart that she is gone.”

A Go Fund Me campaign was set up to help the family cover funeral and other expenses.

A funeral is set for Thursday, with a Catholic Mass 11 a.m. at St. Joachim’s Church in Madera. Burial will follow 1 p.m. at the Calvary Cemetery.

This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 2:17 PM.