Fresno woke up to heartbreak Thursday morning after 16-year-old Maxwell Thompson, a student at Justin Garza High School, was killed while trying to cross Highway 99 on foot. It happened just before 9 a.m., in the northbound lanes south of Herndon Avenue, during the busy morning rush.
According to authorities, Thompson was on the east shoulder of the freeway when he suddenly ran across the lanes toward the center divider. Traffic was moving fast, as it usually does on that stretch of Highway 99. Drivers had little warning and almost no time to react.
A Toyota Tacoma traveling in the far-right lane struck the teen. The impact threw him back toward the shoulder. California Highway Patrol officers and emergency crews rushed in and tried everything they could to save him, performing life-saving measures right there on the roadway.
Despite those efforts, Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene. The Fresno County Coroner’s Office later confirmed his identity, sending waves of grief through his family, classmates, and the wider school community.
The driver of the pickup truck stayed at the scene and fully cooperated with investigators. CHP officials said alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash, and there is no indication the driver was acting recklessly.
“This is an incredibly tragic loss, especially involving someone so young,” said Capt. Ian Holguin, commander of the CHP Fresno Area. He emphasized that freeways are built for speed, not foot traffic, leaving drivers almost no chance to avoid sudden dangers.
For students at Justin Garza High School, this was not just another traffic headline. It was the loss of a classmate, a teenager with a future that ended far too soon. As Fresno processes the shock, the crash stands as a painful reminder of how unforgiving freeways can be—and how quickly lives can change in a single moment.
