A 76-year-old San Mateo man faces felony vehicular manslaughter charges after prosecutors say he ran a red light and killed a mother of two at the intersection of Alameda de las Pulgas and Highway 92 more than a year ago.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday, Aug. 4, that it filed the charges against John Roland Deloach following a 13-month investigation into the July 31, 2025 crash that also critically injured two young boys.
According to the San Mateo Police Department's press release issued after the crash, Deloach was driving a Ford SUV exiting the eastbound Highway 92 off-ramp at Alameda de las Pulgas at 6:17 p.m. when he failed to stop for a red light and broadsided a Toyota Prius traveling northbound on Alameda on a green light.
The Prius driver, a 30-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her two sons, ages 5 and 7, were transported to a hospital and listed in critical but stable condition at the time. The boys' current conditions have not been publicly disclosed.
Deloach was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. He was not impaired.
Police confirmed at the time of the crash that alcohol and drugs were not factors, though his identity was withheld pending investigation.
Why it took 13 months
The DA's office said on X that charges came after a lengthy investigation by San Mateo Police and a review of a California Highway Patrol Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team report not received until June 2026. CHP's MAIT program deploys specialized crash-reconstruction teams for fatal collisions that could lead to criminal prosecution.
The crash on July 31, 2025 shut down both the eastbound on-ramp and off-ramp for Highway 92 and closed Alameda de las Pulgas in both directions from West 20th Avenue to Barneson Avenue for roughly four hours.
What's next
No arraignment date or bail information for Deloach has been publicly released. The DA's office and San Mateo Police have not announced additional details beyond the charging announcement.
Residents with information about the case can contact the San Mateo Police Department at 650-522-7626.
