A 58-year-old Tacoma, Washington woman died and her 34-year-old passenger was seriously injured after their van rolled over on northbound Interstate 5 near Orland, California. California Highway Patrol officers responded around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 2, 2026, after a 2018 Ram ProMaster van left the roadway north of the State Route 32 junction. The van reportedly traveled off the east side of the freeway, struck a dirt embankment, and came to rest on its left side in rural Glenn County. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while her passenger was extracted from the wreckage and taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico with major injuries.
According to Hoodline, an automated crash-detection alert from a passenger’s iPhone helped summon first responders to the rural stretch of freeway. CHP told Hoodline that drugs and alcohol are not suspected as factors in the crash, and investigators have not yet determined what caused the van to leave the roadway. The stretch of I-5 near State Route 32 carries more than 25,000 vehicles a day at a 70 mph speed limit. The California Highway Patrol’s investigation into the crash remains active.
