Mayor names Chowchilla officer killed in 2-vehicle crash

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The city of Chowchilla has identified the on-duty police officer who lost his life Friday night after his patrol vehicle collided with a big rig.

Mayor Kelly Smith says Ray Barrantes was the Chowchilla police officer in the marked Ford Explorer that collided with a Freightliner attempting to cross State Route 152 at the intersection of Road 13 in Madera County.

Around 10:30 p.m., officers with the Madera-area California Highway Patrol were notified of the collision in which they said Officer Barrantes was traveling eastbound on Highway 152, while the truck pulling a set of doubles filled with tomatoes, was traveling south on Road 13.

While the truck’s driver began to cross the lanes of the 152, officers said, the front of Barrantes’s patrol vehicle struck the right side of the Freightliner’s rear trailer and became lodged underneath.  

Both vehicles, along with spilled produce, blocked both lanes of traffic on Road 13, and part of the eastbound SR-152.

Investigators said Barrantes died at the scene.

The 36-year-old male driver of the Freightliner, from Firebaugh, was uninjured.

Officers say neither drugs, nor alcohol, appear to be a factor in this crash.

Additionally, Mayor Smith says, “In honor and memory of Officer Barrantes, I have directed that all flags at City facilities be flown at half-staff until October 12, 2025. I invite our community members, schools, and businesses to join us in this gesture of respect and remembrance for Officer Barrantes and his family.”