Update: 3-year-old dies days after crash on Highway 41 in Fresno, coroner says
A 3-year-old seriously injured in a Highway 41 crash this week died from his injuries in a Fresno hospital, the Fresno County Coroner’s Office said in an update Thursday.
The coroner identified the Hanford boy as Kendrixx Leavell and said he died Wednesday in a Fresno hospital.
The boy was restrained by a seatbelt but was not in a child safety seat about 2:25 a.m. Sunday while headed south on Highway 41 near Highway 180 when the Kia Optima he was traveling in slammed into the rear of a Toyota Camry “blacked out” and stopped on the highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The impact caused both vehicles to spin out of control before coming to rest in the far right and far left lanes of the highway, according to CHP. Several near misses preceded the collision.
CHP said it was not immediately clear why the driver of the Camry, 31-year-old Carlos Sandoval, was stopped on the highway but alcohol impairment was suspected. Sandoval died at a Fresno-area hospital.
Two others in the Kia were injured, one with serious injuries and the other with minor injuries, CHP said.
The boy’s family set up a gofundme account to help pay for his funeral, according to a spokesperson from the crowdfunding company. The account initially asked for donations for his recovery after he suffered severe spinal cord injuries, but the page was updated after he died.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Update: 3-year-old dies days after crash on Highway 41 in Fresno, coroner says."
