A California family is in mourning after losing a teenage boy and his father. Aaron Ramirez was found days after he and his father, Raul Ramirez, were in a car accident. Their SUV rolled down an embankment, sending them and their vehicle into an aqueduct. Not long after the crash, the body of Raul Ramirez was found, but Aaron Ramirez’s body traveled a short distance before it was recovered. As the family prepares to lay the teen and his dad to rest, the definitive cause for the crash seems to remain unknown.
About 6:30 a.m. August 5, 2025, officers from the California Highway Patrol responded to a call about an SUV that had veered off Interstate 5, landing in the California Aqueduct, The Modesto Bee reported.
According to the CHP, Raul Ramirez was driving in the fast lane before making an unsafe right turn into the slow lane and then off the right shoulder. The SUV, which was pulling a utility trailer, traveled about 1,000 feet down a steep embankment, the Bee reported. Before plunging into the aqueduct, the SUV crashed through two barbed wire fences.
Crews were able to pull the SUV out of the water, finding Raul Ramirez dead inside, KXTV reported. At the time, the authorities claimed there was no evidence another passenger had been in the vehicle. When next of kin were alerted about the accident, however, they told authorities that Aaron Ramirez had also been in the SUV.
The family told KXTV they believe Raul Ramirez had a heart attack while driving.
On August 8, three days after the crash, the body of Aaron Ramirez was found, Fox 40 reported. The body was found by a family member about two miles from the site of the crash. According to CHP, the teen’s body was found during a scheduled search time. Crews from the Patterson Fire Department recovered the body.
There’s no word yet on whether an investigation into the crash will continue. In the meantime, family members started a GoFundMe account to raise money for Elvia Ramirez, Raul’s wife and Aaron’s mother. She has been left to care for another son, Isaac, by herself. “This heartbreaking event has left Elvia and Isaac facing a future without two of the most important people in their lives,” the page reads.
“As her family, we have come together to create this fundraiser to help ease these burdens so Elvia can focus on healing and supporting Isaac. Any contribution, no matter the amount, will provide comfort and stability during this painful time.”
