Fresno motorcyclist dies after hit-and-run on Olive Avenue

Fresno police say a silver Jeep pulled out in front of Richard Cortes’ motorcycle on Olive Avenue, turning a central Fresno crash into a fatal hit-and-run that ended with the driver booked on felony charges and investigators still asking for witnesses. Cortes was riding west near Rowell Avenue on the evening of May 25 when the collision happened, police said.

Officers said Cortes was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died over the weekend. The driver was later identified as 33-year-old Yzamar Mendez, who police said returned to the scene while officers were still investigating. She was booked into jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.

Police said drugs or alcohol did not appear to be factors in the crash. Even so, the case remains active, and investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what happened in the moments before the Jeep turned left and struck the motorcycle.

The crash carried an added sense of urgency because it was one of two motorcycle collisions reported within minutes of each other on Olive Avenue that night, less than a block apart. A second rider went down near Cedar and Olive avenues in a separate crash, was hospitalized and was expected to survive. Together, the back-to-back wrecks turned one stretch of roadway in central Fresno into the scene of two serious motorcycle emergencies in the same evening.

Family members said Cortes was 42 years old, the sole provider for his household and a maintenance technician for CV Homes. He is survived by his wife, six children and five grandchildren. The family also said Cortes suffered major injuries to his head, neck and back and was placed in an induced coma before his death.

A GoFundMe was launched to help with hospital and funeral expenses, and the family planned a “Justice for Richard” candlelight vigil at Olive and Rowell on May 31. The fundraising effort and vigil reflect the scale of the loss for a family that depended on Cortes financially and personally.

The crash also fits a wider traffic-safety pattern in Fresno County. California Office of Traffic Safety data show the county recorded 4,459 fatal and injury crashes in 2020, including 209 involving motorcycles and 292 hit-and-run fatal and injury collisions. On a corridor like Olive Avenue, those numbers make this case more than a single collision. They point to a broader public-safety failure that demands accountability from the driver and closer attention from investigators.