Weekend’s Hwy 4 Fatal Crash Victims Identified

Copperopolis, CA — Calaveras County Coroner Kevin Raggio reports a father died in a wreck on Highway 4 in Copperopolis Saturday while three children were airlifted from the scene due to their injuries.

The crash happened at 5:50 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 4 and O’Byrnes Ferry Road.  The CHP reports that the family, which is from Antioch, was traveling in a 2005 Nissan Quest van on O’Byrnes Ferry Rood when it collided with a 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 truck. The driver of the van, 46-year-old Walter Castellanos, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had pulled out in front of the truck, driven by 68-year-old James Rohn Jr. from Angels Camp going eastbound on the highway.

The three of the four passengers in the van were children, ages 8, 12 and 13. Their injuries ranged from moderate to major with all taken by air ambulance to UC Davis in Sacramento.  Additionally, 37-year-old Ana Castallanos suffered minor injuries. Rohn was not hurt in the collision. The CHP reports neither drugs nor alcohol played a role in the crash.

The crash closed down Highway 4 for nearly an hour and a half as tow crews cleared the debris and traffic was detoured.