Tragic Fatal Collision on Highway 99 Claimed the Lives of Three UC Davis Students

What Follow-Up Reporting Revealed About the Crash

Early coverage described a devastating Highway 99 collision in San Joaquin County that killed four people. Later reporting filled in the human story and the crash sequence. UC Davis confirmed that three of the dead were students: Minkyu Geon, a junior in electrical engineering; Margarette Guinto Ventura, a sophomore in biological sciences; and Codi Orland Mateo, a senior majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior.

CBS Sacramento reported the university released the names with the families’ permission. Chancellor Gary S. May said the campus was “absolutely devastated” by the loss and extended condolences to the students’ families, friends, and classmates. UC Davis also said confidential counseling and crisis-response resources were made available in the aftermath.

Public reporting described the crash as a wrong-way, chain-reaction collision involving multiple vehicles near Manteca. According to follow-up accounts, the initial driver allegedly rear-ended a flatbed trailer being towed behind a U-Haul, turned around, and then drove the wrong way on Highway 99 before striking the students’ Subaru head-on.

What Investigators and Local Reporting Said Happened Next

The wrong-way driver was identified in follow-up reports as 32-year-old Diannamonick Moeung of Stockton. CBS Sacramento reported CHP believed she was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the crash. That allegation matters because impairment can become a central issue in both the criminal investigation and any later civil case.

The reporting did not stop with the first impact. The Manteca Bulletin said the Subaru carrying the UC Davis students was forced into another vehicle and turned around in the opposite lanes. A second driver, identified as 40-year-old Nicholas Craggs of Stockton, then reportedly struck the Subaru head-on in the No. 1 lane. The paper said Craggs suffered major injuries and was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

That additional reporting is important because many legacy crash posts capture only the first few hours of information. In serious collisions, later coverage often reveals whether there were multiple impacts, whether more than one driver is under investigation, and whether agencies or prosecutors may be examining alcohol or drug impairment issues.

Why This Crash Raised Serious Wrongful Death Questions

When a wrong-way crash kills college students, the legal consequences can reach far beyond the initial CHP bulletin. Families may need to understand how the crash sequence unfolded, whether one or more impaired drivers contributed, what toxicology evidence exists, whether roadway surveillance or event data was preserved, and how insurance coverage applies across several vehicles.

Case Context