Some Names Released in Fatal Crash North of Rio Dell Yesterday
Emergency personnel and bystanders at the scene of a fatal head-on crash and vehicle fire on Highway 101 near Metropolitan Road on Tuesday afternoon. A 2012 BMW caught fire after colliding with a Ford pickup belonging to PG&E. [Photo provided]
On October 28, 2025, at approximately 1409 hours, CHP Humboldt Communications Center (HCC) received a call of a vehicle fire and a head-on traffic crash on US-101 Southbound near Metropolitan Road. Emergency personnel arrived on scene and located a 2012 BMW engulfed in flames.
Through on-scene investigation it was determined a 2020 Ford F350, driven by Justin Ambrose, was traveling southbound on US-101 in the number two lane. Ocean DelCastillo was driving a 2012 BMW 328, with a passenger, northbound on US-101. For an unknown reason, DelCastillo allowed the BMW to cross the center median and drove the wrong way onto US-101 southbound toward Ambrose’s Ford. The Ford and BMW crashed head-on within the southbound lanes of US-101. After the crash, the BMW became engulfed in flames. DelCastillo’s passenger succumbed to fatal injuries on scene. DelCastillo was transported to St. Joseph Hospital with major injuries. It is unknown at this time if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to the cause of this crash.
The CHP Humboldt Area would like to thank Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department, Fortuna Fire Department, Humboldt County Sheriff Department, Fortuna Police Department, Rio Dell Police Department, City Ambulance, California Department of Transportation, and all other emergency personnel on scene for their assistance in this incident. The CHP Humboldt Area office is continuing its investigation and asks anyone who may have additional information to contact the California Highway Patrol at 707-713-6300.Fatal Crash.101 North of Metropolitan.10-28-2025 (2)
Earlier: PG&E Truck and Car Collide Head-On Near Highway 36; Vehicle Reportedly on Fire
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i hope he goes to prison for life
Real smart comment. Just like the lady from from Fortuna ran over and killed her own kid and her friend. Left them in the bushes to die and tried to get her son to take the fall. Then tried to run off to mexico! She served what? 2 years in total.
Marcie Kitchen. We should always say her name and what she did. You are correct in stating what she did. Humboldt County Corrupt Justice System….
Who? Who should go to prison for life? We don’t know what caused this person to cross the median. It could be a seizure or heart attack. You ay be right, but you may be wrong.
She killed my niece Faith… only served seven months in prison. Her name is Marci kitchen.
Looks like your comment may have been intended for Golden Eye, not robot.
ocean was never a good person. right before this crash he was in and out of the courthouse because he kept driving when he wasn’t allowed to. i hope ocean serves a lot of time for what he did
He was a kid once and a good kid who was delt a bad hand and left alone at a very young age u have no idea what u r saying. He is loved and has people worried about him and his son. Even if he did wrong and made a mistake u r not one to judge u have no rite.
Nope, he killed a young beautiful teen in this car crash by negligent driving.
I young beautiful teen that made the same choice as ocean to get in that car together
Purple, I think he is already in prison for the loss of his wife in the accident. Now he is living in hell, and I think that is enough punishment if it was his fault or not.
he could have suffered a medical situation diabetic shock results in very similar driving as drunk driving , i feel since the story states it is unknown at this time if drugs and or alcohol played a part or not , so judgement such as this is very harsh , lets be grateful more people did not get hurt and try to support the victims and their families as best as we can
Don’t do this… no need to list the possibilities as they’re endless. Most folks understand this & await for the info to become public. Listing things like this just adds to people’s confusion. We’re only responsible for what we say, not for how people take it so it’s important, especially in times like these that we don’t add to those with overactive imaginations. 😉🤜🤛
A ‘medical situation’ doesn’t explain nitrous canisters all over the car. Being grateful more people weren’t hurt doesn’t erase the fact that someone WAS.
When and where did we learn there was canisters in the car ?
His wife was not the passenger. my friend was not his wife or his girlfriend.
Who?
Young guy speeding and/or distracted. No surprise there. A couple days ago on notorious West Harris by Winco a guy, also a young Latino, whipped over from Central out of control at dangerous speed coming right at my sidewalk. I was about to throw myself behind a parked car when he regained control and continued down W. Harris at high speed. This is every day in Eureka. EPD snoozes at the wheel, does nothing.
Your comment has nothing to do with this article Jerry. Please be kind as his wife was killed in that accident. I see a lot of EPD patrol vehicles around Eureka and if they are snoozing while driving it amazes me!
The passenger was not his wife
Lost his wife ? His wife wasn’t in the car. That was my friend . She needed a ride cause she doesnt have a license or a vehicle. Yea accidents happen but get your facts straight .
I read that the passenger was his wife. Apparently, the article I read was totally wrong. Please accept my apologies for my mistake.
It was not his wife he barely knew the girl
According to this he was young, but not Latino. Looks like he most likely had lost his driving privilege and had violated a restraining order for domestic violence.
https://recentlybooked.com/CA/Humboldt/OCEAN-DELCASTILLO~1188_606613
what is young? Where did you get his age?
Police report attached to this post has party’s AGE as one of the info boxes.
I am very sorry that the female passenger in the BMW was killed in that accident. Why Mr. DelCastillo let his vehicle drift across the freeway and hit Mr. Ambrose head-on I am not really sure. He could have had a medical issue that caused him to lose control of his vehicle sending it in the path of the Ford F-250, or some type of mechanical problem. Thank you to all the first responders that had to work that terrible scene. I can’t lay blame on Mr. DelCastillo until all the facts are known. May the female passenger RIP.
Martin- You refer to the incident as an “accident”, is there proof of that ? Unlikely, but sometimes it is an “on purpose” , “neglect”. “accident” or other. Collision seems undeniable .
Got to be on your toes when cruising that number 2 aka passing lane. Number one lane will give you that extra half a second to miss cross over traffic.
The left lane gives you that half second to avoid Kamikaze deer which are much more common than wrong way traffic.
I’ll take a bump from a deer any day over a smash from a beemer
Number 1 lane is the fast, that is, left-most lane. Number 2 is (on a two-lane, one-direction piece of road) the right/slow lane. At least in California.
Ocean Alexander Del Castillo
This is from a Kemp post, and is concerning that now if he did not rectify these charges, there is a possibility he was not driving with a valid licence, also that the car may be uninsured… and now all of us who drive legally and with insurance will need to pony up the extra charges to our insurance due to these child actions. Again, assuming that he has not rectified these charges.
Should add that he has several arrests for this, going back to December 8, 2021 by humboldt CHP. One of my biggest fears is getting hit by an uninsured driver that has done this over and over again with no culpability.
4000(A)(1) – Unregistered California Based Vehicle
12500(A) – Drive W/O License
16028(A) – Fail To Provide Evidence Financial Responsibility
22350 – Unsafe Speed For Prevailing Conditions
Apparently, this guy that was driving could care less or is a little screwed up. Either way he needs to pay for killing his passenger.
agreed!
Why do you fear this , when this state requires uninsured motorist insurance , unless you are bot properly insured yourself
If they don’t have it, and you’re in an accident where the medical expenses eat up all your policy limits, you’re screwed. Nobody esle to sue and get money out of. Can’t sue the BMW driver as I find it highly unlikely he even had a license on him, insurance, or well…anything but keys and a now-dead female in the car.
This guy should be made to wear an ankle monitor for a decade when released. If it moves more than 25MPH, go find him.
Concerned, where did you obtain your arrest information. Why would they send a EPD officer to arrest Del Castillo when the CHP are present or an officer from the Rio Dell Police Department.
That was his arrest log from August
His arrest log from August should not have a bearing on what happened in that accident. Some people do change, but I am not sure he has.
OK, how about june then? You can also go back in history of the daily county jail reports
He was taken to st Joseph’s hospital to treat injuries immediately following the accident he was arrested by end today likely following being cleared to leave the hospital by doctors
No he was flown to Sacramento special burn unit. He is not ok and has never had his license he has been on the streets since he was a child. Abandoned by his mother very young. He made bad choices in bad situations.
Why are you defending him? Ocean his not a good guy. He will never change it was just a matter of time before he ended up ending a females life.
CVC12500(a) means he has never had or applied for a driver’s license!
No, that’s incorrect. For whatever reason his license has either expired, passed his birthday without renewing it or was suspended and hasn’t followed up with the needed requirements to get it reinstated. 12500vc is usually a fix it ticket. If the defendant gets his license reinstated the judge can reduce to an infraction with a fine or even dismissed.
Of course this more than likely wouldn’t be the case here…
I get the accident, and doesn’t surprise me with the amount of younger driver/delinquent’s . I’m just curious about who names their daughter Justin? Just seems odd…
Bro, Justin is a man. He was hit while driving his PG&E work truck.
Just an error in the accident report. Wrong box checked.
This sweetheart girl knocked on my door Sunday morning looking for her Grandad, she was bringing breakfast to him for his birthday. She didn’t know he’d moved 2 doors down, he’s our neighbor. Oh this is horrible! He came over when he found out, he needed hugs… we love you P! I guess she was only 19 yrs old. So fkng sad 😥.
And she literally was one of the nicest thoughtful
..young adults..always wanting to help..kind beyond words..not a mean bone in her body..loved animals..she was the kinda kid all parents pray that their kiddos have atleast a smidgen of the same character or morals along with empathy and a smile that made you smile on the inside. She will be sorely missed.
If she was in the car with Ocean I don’t think she had the morals you think she had. Ocean is notorious around Humboldt.
getting a ride with someone determines their character now? you don’t know who or what you’re talking about