3-Year-Old Dies Days After Highway 41 Crash in Fresno County as CHP Investigates Deadly Collision With Stopped Toyota

FRESNO, CA — A 3-year-old boy injured in an early Sunday crash on Highway 41 in Fresno County has died from those injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol. The child, identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Kendrixx Leavell of Hanford, was riding in a Kia Optima that struck a disabled Toyota Camry.

CHP said the Toyota had stopped in the middle lane of southbound Highway 41, north of Highway 180, before the collision. The crash left multiple people hurt and shut down the final moments of a dangerous chain of events that investigators are still piecing together.

How the crash unfolded

Authorities said the Toyota remained stranded on the freeway when a 33-year-old woman driving the Kia hit the back of it. Leavell was wearing a seatbelt, but officers said he was not in a child safety seat.

The child suffered major, life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he died days later on May 20. A male passenger in the Kia was also hospitalized with major injuries.

Driver of stopped Toyota died

The driver of the Toyota was identified as 31-year-old Carlos Sandoval Jr. of Selma. CHP said he was taken to the hospital after the crash, where he later died.

Investigators said Sandoval may have been under the influence of alcohol, but they are still waiting on toxicology results. Officials have not announced any final determination about impairment.

Child safety seat matters

The CHP account notes that Leavell was belted in, but not secured in a child safety seat. In a crash involving serious impact, that distinction can be critical for a young passenger’s protection.

The agency did not release additional details about the Kia driver or the condition of the other injured passenger beyond noting the hospitalization for major injuries.

Crash probe continues

The collision remains under investigation as officers work to reconstruct what happened on the stretch of Highway 41. The sequence began with a stopped vehicle in a live traffic lane and ended with multiple hospitalizations and two deaths.

CHP has not said when the investigation will be completed or whether any charges or citations are expected. For now, the agency is still awaiting toxicology results tied to the Toyota driver.

TNSO covers California, Nevada, and Arizona as the story unfolds.