DELANO — Ivan Garza, 25, died after being struck by a northbound vehicle while crossing the street in Delano, California, shortly after 4 a.m. on July 8, 2026. Officers from the Delano Police Department responded to reports of a vehicle striking a pedestrian that Wednesday.

Garza was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. The driver, a 32-year-old woman, remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and police have not yet determined if drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.

Garza played as an offensive lineman for the Sacramento State Hornets from 2021 to 2023. He redshirted in 2019, and his 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. Garza played in 38 games for the Hornets and was part of two Big Sky championship teams. He was named honorable mention All-Big Sky in 2023 after starting all 13 games for the team.

Sonia Garza, Ivan Garza's aunt, described him as a mentor. "He was a great mentor to everybody," she said. She noted his physical presence. "He was a big guy, so everybody automatically looked up to him." She added, "And then when they saw that he was good, they looked up to him even more."

Robert F. Kennedy High School head football coach Mario Millan said Garza was integral to the program. "Ivan was one of the stewards of our program," Millan said. "He was a phenomenal student, a phenomenal athlete, earned himself the first Division One scholarship out of Delano, I think, ever."

Garza attended Robert F. Kennedy High School in Delano, where he helped lead the Thunderbirds football team to a Central Section Division 5 championship.