Fresno County report names Friant and Shepherd city’s most dangerous intersection
A June 3 grand jury report called Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue Fresno’s most dangerous intersection, after 21 crashes from 2020 to 2024 and a $2.5 million fix plan.
A Fresno County Civil Grand Jury report dated June 3 named Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue the most dangerous intersection in the City of Fresno, putting fresh accountability on a site that has drawn complaints, crashes and public attention for more than a year. The report, Report No. 5 for 2025-2026, pointed to North Fresno’s growing population and rising daily vehicle counts as part of the pressure on the intersection.
The grand jury’s finding rested on crash history at Friant and Shepherd, where a crash analysis cited in local reporting found 21 crashes from 2020 to 2024, the highest total for any intersection in Fresno. Other reporting said Fresno police counted 42 collisions there from January 2020 to April 2024. Those totals underscore how long the site has been a problem and how closely the city, police and county have been tracking it.
By early 2025, the intersection had already become known locally for red-light runners, speeding and reckless driving. KMPH FOX26 reported on Jan. 17, 2025, that those problems were still defining the crossing, and the report said public concern had been building for the previous 18 months. The site’s reputation spread far enough that crash videos posted online became part of the public discussion over whether the intersection was being managed safely enough.
The City of Fresno has since moved toward a fix. CBS47/KSEE24 reported on Feb. 26, 2026, that the city planned about $2.5 million in improvements at Friant and Shepherd after back-to-back crashes. The planned changes included moving a cinderblock wall along Friant back to improve visibility, along with signal and lane changes. The Fresno Bee reported on March 13, 2026, that roadway improvements were beginning at the intersection.
That sequence leaves the City of Fresno, not the public, with the key responsibility now. The grand jury identified the hazard, police records documented the collisions and the city drew up the repair work. Friant and Shepherd has gone from a warning sign to a test of whether Fresno can turn crash data into faster street design changes before the next collision adds to the count.
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