MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) — The California Highway Patrol announced that 106 people died in crashes in the Madera area between 2020 and 2023.

The agency recently received $130,000 in grant money to help combat these deadly statistics and make the county’s roads and highways safer.

This is welcome news for Maria Balch, who has been fighting to keep roads safe in Madera County since her accident.

“When I was in the hospital after the car accident, I made a promise that if God was going to keep me alive, he would keep me here for a reason and I would definitely fight,” Balch said.

About six years ago, Balch was pushed into oncoming traffic by another vehicle while stopped on Avenue 12 near Highway 41.

“The car blew up in front of me as he pulled me to a safe first spot,” Balch said.

The California Highway Patrol Madera district office says more than 2,600 people have been injured in fatal accidents as well as car collisions.

“As we’ve talked about before, this is very sad, this is 100% preventable,” said CHP Madera spokesman Sergio Moreno.

Training and Enforcement Fatality Reduction grant, also known as FREE, from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The grant will provide extra officers to cover Highways 145, 152, 99 and Highway 41, including rural unincorporated roads.

Moreno said they hope to include community outreach to educate people about road rules.

“This grant will allow us to not only send additional police officers to patrol, but also reduce deaths and injuries from crashes,” Moreno said.

On Friday, CHP Madera responded to another fatal crash on Route 41 near Children’s Boulevard.

Investigators say a car rear-ended another vehicle during a traffic stop.

This created a chain collision. The driver, who was thought to be at fault, was taken to the hospital and later died.

Balch, who has been fighting for safer streets for years, hopes people understand the importance of obeying traffic rules.

Balch said, “Is it worth this speed to collide head-on with someone and kill yourself or someone else? You could have killed me. You could have killed someone’s mother, wife, daughter, and for nothing.”

The grant money is expected to last until September 2025.

CHP Madera says they will likely look for new grant opportunities once this resource is exhausted.

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