DUI Crash Kills 3, Arrest Made in Fresno County

A tragic weekend in Fresno County saw multiple fatal incidents involving impaired driving and hit-and-run crashes. On Saturday night, 24-year-old Juan Carlos Mendoza Jr. was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe under the influence when he veered off Mt. Whitney Avenue, crashing into a walnut orchard; two backseat passengers were unrestrained, and 24-year-old Kevin Juarez died despite CPR efforts. Mendoza was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury. Earlier, a 45-year-old man was fatally struck in a hit-and-run on Jensen near Del Rey, with the driver fleeing the scene and the vehicle believed to have severe right-side damage. Additionally, in Tracy, a man arrested for DUI after a solo-vehicle crash died in police custody due to an apparent medical emergency, with no force used by officers. These incidents underscore ongoing concerns about DUI-related fatalities and hit-and-run cases in the region.