Jordan Verdugo Tehama County Crash Victim Interstate 5 Freeway

 Jordan Verdugo Tehama County Crash Victim Interstate 5 Freeway3 Killed, 1 Hurt in Tehama County Crash on I-5 Freeway

TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. (March 23, 2022) — Authorities identified Jordan Verdugo, 20, of Cottonwood, as one of three killed and one injured Sunday in a crash on the Interstate 5 Freeway near Cottonwood.

She was a back seat passenger in a 4-door 2018 Kia occupied by two adults and two teenagers that crashed into a parked semi-truck on the shoulder of the freeway, just south of the Cottonwood scales.  A 16-year-old boy was driving the car southbound on the I-5 when he allegedly entered the west shoulder and crashed into the big rig truck about 1:45 a.m. on March 20th.

The two teenagers and Jordan Verdugo died in the crash. Sierra Olander, 21, of Red Bluff, was the sole survivor. The Tehama County Coroner’s Office identified Jordan Verdugo, as well as the two teenagers, a 16-year-old Red Bluff boy and a 15-year-old Red Bluff girl.  The teenagers were in the front seats and wearing seatbelts, but Verdugo and Olander were not.

Woman Survives Crash with Major Injuries

Meanwhile, paramedics transported Sierra Olander to Mercy Medical Center for treatment of undisclosed major injuries.

Truck driver Rodney Hill, 47, was not injured.  Investigators are working on the case to determine why the truck was parked on the shoulder. Also, it’s unknown if the vehicle had it’s hazard lights on at the time.

The CHP is investigating the cause of the crash and will determine fault.

A Go Fund Me page is collecting donations to help the families of Jordan Verdugo and the teenage driver from the crash.


Johnson Attorneys Group does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Furthermore, Johnson Attorneys Group does not intend to represent any of the parties discussed. However, if you would like to contribute any information or have legal questions, please contact us as soon as possible. Finally, our law firm is a longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

James Johnson

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