Onias Avila De Rodriguez: Caltrans project worker knocked off the freeway at the Stockton Boulevard overpass by a driver the CHP says was impaired and fled
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (August 10, 2026): A 45-year-old highway construction worker from Modesto was killed shortly after midnight on Monday, August 10, when a Honda sedan entered a coned-off work lane on eastbound Highway 50 near the Highway 99 north ramp and the Stockton Boulevard overpass, according to the California Highway Patrol as reported by CBS Sacramento. The worker was identified as Onias Avila De Rodriguez, an employee of Bay Line Cutting and Coring, a San Francisco subcontractor on a Caltrans project. According to the CHP, the Honda struck a parked truck being used as a barrier for the crew, then hit Avila De Rodriguez, knocking him off the freeway onto Stockton Boulevard below, where he died.
Two other workers inside the construction truck were taken to a hospital, according to ABC10 citing the CHP. CHP Lt. Kris Rolin told CBS Sacramento that the driver fled, struck another vehicle farther along Highway 50 and was apprehended shortly afterward. The driver, described by the CHP as a woman in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run; her name and any formal charges had not been detailed. A SigAlert closed all eastbound lanes for the investigation, according to the CHP as reported by ABC10. No Cal/OSHA statement had been reported, and the CHP investigation remains open.
Liability for Sacramento County Work Zone Crashes
California Vehicle Code § 21367 (work zone traffic control) makes it unlawful to disregard the cones and signs that close a lane, and Vehicle Code § 22362 (work zone speed) requires reduced speeds where workers are present. Vehicle Code § 20001 (hit-and-run causing injury or death) obligates a driver who injures someone to stop and render aid; the CHP said this driver fled and struck another vehicle before being caught. Because Avila De Rodriguez died on the job, Labor Code § 3600 (workers’ compensation coverage) applies regardless of fault, and Labor Code § 3852 (third-party claims) allows his family to pursue the driver separately. The driver is presumed innocent, and a civil claim does not require a conviction.
- Suspected impairment: The CHP arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI. If impairment is established, it supports a finding of negligence and, in some cases, punitive damages.
- Entering a coned-off lane: According to the CHP, the Honda passed into the closed lane and struck the barrier truck before reaching the crew. How the closure was marked and lit will be examined.
- Fleeing the scene: Lt. Rolin said the driver left and hit another vehicle. Leaving an injured worker on the roadway is strong evidence of fault and a separate felony.
- Work zone protection: A parked truck served as the crew’s barrier. Investigators will ask whether the plan called for a crash attenuator, adequate buffer distance and advance warning signs.
Workers’ compensation death benefits under Labor Code § 4700 to § 4702 (death benefits and burial expenses for dependents) are paid by the employer’s insurance carrier and include burial expenses plus installment payments that, depending on the number of total dependents, can reach $320,000. Those benefits do not compensate grief, loss of companionship or the full value of lost earnings. A wrongful death claim against the driver can recover those losses, and if her insurance is insufficient, the family’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may apply.
Steps to Take After a Sacramento County Work Zone Crash
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol-impaired driving is a factor in roughly one third of all traffic deaths in the United States each year.
- Request the CHP collision report: It will document the driver’s path, speed, blood alcohol results and the position of the barrier truck.
- File the workers’ compensation death claim: Notify Bay Line Cutting and Coring and its insurance carrier in writing so benefits are paid promptly.
- Identify insurance coverage: Obtain the driver’s policy limits and review the family’s own auto policies for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
- Preserve work zone records: Ask Caltrans and the contractors to keep the traffic control plan, lane closure permits, crew logs and any camera footage.
- Follow the criminal case: A DUI and hit-and-run prosecution can produce toxicology results, statements and video that a civil case can use.
Under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver generally must be filed within two years of the death, and under Labor Code § 5405, a workers’ compensation death claim generally must be filed within one year. Because this was a Caltrans project on a state highway, any claim alleging that the roadway or the approved traffic control plan contributed must be presented to the state within six months under Government Code § 911.2. Contact an attorney promptly to protect your rights.
Investigating Sacramento County Work Zone Crashes
We at Carrazco Law, A.P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Onias Avila De Rodriguez. Was the overnight closure on eastbound Highway 50 protected by more than a parked truck, and did the traffic control plan account for vehicles entering from the Highway 99 ramp? Where had the driver been before she entered the work lane, and did anyone serve her alcohol knowing she would drive?
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job or in a work zone anywhere in California, our workers’ compensation and personal injury attorneys can help you understand your rights and legal options. Call us anytime at (800) 541-3244. Se Habla Español. Free consultation.
Published on September 16, 2026 by M.M., Carrazco Law, A.P.C. The incident described in this article occurred on August 10, 2026.
