Authorities are investigating an Aug. 3 traffic accident that resulted in the deaths of two people in south San Benito County.
The solo vehicle crash happened about 12:35am on Cienega Road north of Limekiln Road. A vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a tree and became engulfed in fire, according to the California Highway Patrol Hollister-Gilroy Area office, which responded to the collision.
Both male occupants of the vehicle died as a result of the collision, authorities said.
The CHP said its preliminary investigation has not yet determined why the vehicle left the roadway, and no potential cause of the crash has been ruled out.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the identities of the two people who died in the accident.
This newspaper has confirmed that one of the crash victims was 22-year-old Hollister resident Alex Garcia. Garcia’s mother, Yadira Mendiola, said her son graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in June 2024, where he studied computer science. Garcia was also a graduate of Hollister High School.
“He was very quiet, very nice, very respectful. A great son,” Mendiola said. She added that Garcia had been helping her over the past year with her small business, an organic farm near Watsonville.
“He liked to help the community,” Mendiola added.
Garcia’s cousin, Jasmine Garcia, said Alex was ambitious and always helpful.
“He wanted to accomplish a lot,” Jasmine said. “He had a big impact on his mom’s life.”
A longtime friend of Garcia’s set up an online fundraising page for Garcia’s mother after the accident. Funds raised from the site will go toward helping Garcia’s mother and family with costs arising from his death, including funeral expenses.
“Alex and I met in middle school through our shared love of Call of Duty Zombies. We spent countless nights staying up late, watching videos and working together to solve the latest Easter eggs as they came out,” says the fundraising page, created by Garcia’s friend, Kevin Medina. “Though we hadn’t met in person yet, we built a bond that only grew stronger when we finally met face-to-face in 2015, right before high school.
“From that moment on, our friendship was filled with unforgettable adventures.”
The two friends spent time together at trampoline parks, and played video games and paintball, says the fundraising page. They traveled to Japan together twice.
“We climbed Mount Fuji together and even drove an R34 GTR through the mountains…,” adds the fundraising page, which had raised more than $7,100 as of Aug. 11.
This newspaper has not been able to independently verify the identity of the second occupant who died in the Aug. 3 accident. Staff at the medical examiner’s office said on Aug. 12 that they are not yet releasing either victim’s identities.
The CHP is still investigating the crash. Anyone with information can call the CHP Hollister-Gilroy Area office at 408.427.0700.
