Bailie French Obituary, Death – The Fresno County Coroner’s Office has identified the woman killed in a crash on Highway 168 as 30-year-old Bailie French from Squaw Valley. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating the tragic accident that left French dead and a 7-year-old child injured.
The incident occurred on Sunday, when the CHP received a call at 8:40 a.m. about a missing driver. The individual, later identified as French, had failed to arrive home after midnight, prompting authorities to issue a “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) alert. This was the beginning of a search to locate the driver.
Around 11:45 a.m., a child was discovered walking on the right shoulder of westbound Highway 168, located east of Qualls Prather Road. CHP officers and Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies responded and quickly identified the child, who appeared to be around 7 years old. Officers soon discovered French’s overturned Subaru Crosstrek down an embankment, with the woman’s body found outside the vehicle.
Authorities believe neither French nor the child was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The vehicle’s location and the circumstances suggest that both individuals were ejected from the car during the crash. The investigation is still ongoing, with CHP considering whether alcohol or drugs contributed to the incident. Toxicology results are awaited to confirm or rule out substance use.
The child, who had been at the crash site for nearly 12 hours, was transported to Valley Children’s Hospital with injuries that were considered moderate to severe. Remarkably, the child was reunited with their father at the hospital later in the day.
As CHP continues its investigation, more details are expected to emerge regarding the events leading up to the fatal crash.
