Four dead, one critically injured in high-speed Madera County crash after pursuit

Deputies responding to reports of vehicle burglaries near El Vado Drive and Avenue 18 chased a fleeing vehicle that crashed near Avenue 17 and Highway 99, leaving four people dead and a fifth critically injured, authorities said. The crash occurred early Sunday and involved five occupants in the single suspected vehicle, local law enforcement reported.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office was called "just after 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning" to the El Vado Drive and Avenue 18 area regarding people breaking into vehicles, according to local reporting. "When deputies arrived, suspects in a reported, matching vehicle left the scene at high speeds," the account states, prompting a pursuit along county roads toward Highway 99.

Deputies continued the pursuit until the driver lost control and the vehicle came to rest near Avenue 17 and Highway 99. "Deputies pursued the suspects until the driver of the suspected vehicle lost control and crashed near Avenue 17 and Highway 99," the report says. First responders found four of the five occupants dead at the scene; "the remaining suspect was taken to the hospital by helicopter in critical condition."

The California Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation while the Madera County Sheriff's Office is investigating the reported vehicle burglaries, officials said. Reporting on the incident was updated Feb. 15, 2026 by Anthony Galaviz; local media coverage from ABC30 and the San Francisco Chronicle corroborated key details that the vehicle was suspected in car break-ins and that the crash occurred along Highway 99 in Madera County.

No names, ages, hometowns, or charges have been released. The county coroner and CHP have not yet provided identities or cause-of-death determinations; investigators have not released findings on whether speed, impairment, or mechanical failure contributed to the driver losing control. Hospitals have not publicly identified the airlifted patient, and medical privacy rules may limit what the facility can confirm.

Separate accounts published on a law firm website and a YouTube excerpt describe a different Madera County crash near Road 23 and Avenue 13 involving a Honda CR-V and a big rig, reporting two deaths and a 47-year-old Lodi big-rig driver uninjured. Those details conflict with the pursuit-related crash on Avenue 17 and Highway 99 and appear to describe a distinct collision; officials are being asked to verify whether multiple fatal crashes occurred in the county this week.

Anyone with information about the vehicle break-ins or the pursuit-related crash is asked to contact the Madera County Sheriff's Office. Investigators from CHP and MCSD are expected to release further details, including the coroner's findings and any footage from deputy body cameras or traffic cameras, as the inquiries proceed.