California Family Grieves 19-Year-Old Who Died in a Highway Car Crash

A California family is in mourning as their 19-year-old son passed away after a fatal highway car crash. The deceased was described as a kind teenager who loved baseball.

The death of a 19-year-old Victorville resident in a devastating road accident has left a California family in grief. The teenager, Troy Matthew Yoda, lost his life in a single-vehicle crash on Sunday, May 23.

A coroner’s press release by the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Department revealed that Yoda was involved in a collision on southbound Interstate 15 and Alvord Mountain Road in Harvard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to reports, the deceased was driving a 2001 Honda on the I-15 south when he swerved to into the media center. The vehicle entered the Manix Wash stream before colliding with the wall of the tributary stream.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash. The late Yoda was a former student of Silverado High School. He played in the school’s baseball team before he graduated in 2019.

The head coach of the team, Iggy Garcia, in a statement, mourned Yoda’s loss, describing him as an “ultimate player” who worked hard to improve the team daily. Garcia noted that Yoda was a close friend of his son.

Also, a spokesperson for the Victor Valley Union High School District, Kris Reilly, offered condolences to Yoda’s family and school, revealing that the teenager had siblings who currently attended the high school.

A GoFundMe page with a goal of $20,000 has since been set up by loved ones to cater to the funeral needs and assist Yoda’s grieved family. A statement in the fundraiser page honored Yoda’s memory, writing:

“Troy was a very special young man, and anyone who had the honor to meet him fell in love with his kind and loving personality right away. His smile and laugh was infectious.”

The set goal has since been exceeded by more than $8,000 at the time of this writing. In similar news, two high school students died in a car crash on the way to their senior prom earlier this month.

The victims, Kalen Hart of Hamilton Heights High School and her prom date Lendon Byram of Cathedral High School, were in the passenger front seat and driver’s seat, respectively. The other two students at the back suffered no injuries.

Also, three unidentified students of Kelowna Secondary School lost their lives in a single-vehicle crash after their vehicle was found damaged beyond repair by authorities shortly after midnight.