IDENTIFIED: Man dead after vehicle goes into Fresno County canal

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)- The man who died behind the wheel of the vehicle that went into the Friant-Kern canal Friday night has been identified.

Just before 8:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol says its officers were dispatched to the area of State Route 180, east of Zumwalt Avenue, for a report of a vehicle crash.

They say they arrived to find a Honda Accord that had veered off the eastbound lanes of the highway and landed in the canal.

Crews at the scene say it was fully submerged in the cold, and fast-moving water, with who the Fresno County Coroner’s Office identifies as 23-year-old Elias Mayeda, of Pacific Grove inside.

Several local first responding agencies all worked together in the dark and difficult conditions to locate Mayeda. 

The CHP says the Fresno Fire Department Dive Team was able to make their way to him just before 10:00 p.m., and he was determined to be deceased.

Rescuers say no one else was found in the car, or downstream.

Mayeda’s family told investigators that he was on the phone at the time of the crash, and before the call disconnected.

The CHP says this incident is a reminder of the dangers of distracted driving, and the agency discourages drivers from using a phone while behind the wheel.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, as well as whether or not drugs or alcohol were factors.