Tragedy: Nurse Finds Mother in Trauma Unit While Working, Loses Baby in Collision

A nurse experienced the ultimate loss, both her mother and one-year-old daughter were killed in a motor vehicle accident in California. The nurse was working on the unit where her mother passed away. 

“As an emergency department staff member one of our greatest fears is that our family would be brought in as a trauma or medical emergency,” reads the GoFundMe account that was set up by the ER Unit at Doctors Medical Center.  

The rest of the message goes on to explain the details surrounding the loss of a nurse’s mother and 1-year-old daughter. 

“While at work on Tuesday 4/9/24 one of our coworkers/friend experienced such a tragedy. Amanda’s mother was brought in as a trauma from a motor vehicle accident while her one-year-old daughter who was also in the vehicle was taken to Doctors Medical Center, our other local trauma hospital. Both of them tragically lost their lives.

Losing your mother/best friend unexpectedly is unimaginable but the loss of a child a pain I can’t fathom. Our hearts are incredibly heavy for our friend and coworker. Please help us support her and her family while they navigate this horrible tragedy and grieve the loss of Amanda’s wonderful mother Patricia and their precious baby Clara.

If you are unable to donate we would appreciate you sharing this post and more than anything Amanda would love for people to know and remember how wonderful her mother and daughter were.”

The hospital’s ER has set up a gofundme to support the nurse and her husband, you can donate here. 

About the Case

According to local news reports, four individuals, including a 1-year-old girl, lost their lives in a collision involving four vehicles just north of Modesto. The authorities from the California Highway Patrol's Modesto division reported the devastating crash on Tuesday evening.

The crash happened a little after 4 p.m. at the intersection of McHenry Avenue and Hogue Road in the quaint community of Del Rio. According to initial investigations by the CHP, the collision stemmed from a head-on crash between two vehicles. It was revealed that one of the vehicles veered into the opposite lanes for reasons yet unknown.

The vehicle responsible for crossing into oncoming traffic was a Mitsubishi sedan, driven by a 19-year-old woman from Merced. Both the driver and her 22-year-old male passenger, also from Merced, were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The other vehicle involved was a Toyota SUV, driven by a 60-year-old woman from Linden. She was accompanied by a 1-year-old infant. Despite efforts, both succumbed to their injuries at nearby medical facilities.

In the wake of this tragedy, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office identified the victims as 60-year-old Patricia Lopez from Turlock, 20-month-old Clara Howells, also from Turlock, 19-year-old Angeles Escoto from Merced, and 23-year-old Francis Catano, also from Merced.

As the community mourns this devastating loss, authorities continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fatal accident.