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Tow Truck Driver Killed In 2020 Castaic Crash Identified

The identity of the man who died in a Castaic crash in September 2020 has been released by officials with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

William Rauh, 63, has been identified as the man pronounced dead on scene just after midnight on Sept. 16 last year.

“We were unable to release his name until we exhausted all resources in trying to locate and notify next of kin about the death,” said Sarah Ardalani, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Coroner-Medical Examiner’s Office. 

Rauh was a tow truck driver based in Castaic who “loved to help people when their cars break,” said Rauh in his FaceBook profile.

On Sept. 16, 2020, Rauh’s Castaic Tow flatbed was traveling on the I-5 in the No. 3 lane behind a tractor-trailer before the crash occurred, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Incident Logs.

See Related: One Killed In Castaic Crash After Colliding With Big Rig

The crash was initially reported around 12 a.m. near the northbound 5 Freeway at Parker Road, according to Officer Josh Greengard, spokesperson for the CHP Newhall Area Office.

“For an unknown reason, the tow truck collided with the rear of the tractor-trailer,” the CHP report read.

As a result of the fatal crash, all lanes of the northbound 5 Freeway were temporarily closed with traffic diverted to Hasley Canyon Road, according to the CHP.

An investigation conducted by CHP indicated that alcohol or drugs were suspected to have not played a factor in the crash, according to investigators.

Raul’s identity was released later than usual pending the notification of the next-of-kin and he was eventually buried by his loved ones in Jan. 2021, according to officials. 

“There is not a specific time frame on how long we search for family,” Ardalani said of the next-of-kin finding process. “Investigators search various databases for family members, previous addresses & phone numbers and histories. They also interview law enforcement, friends and acquaintances to obtain more information as to the decedent’s legal next-of-kin. Depending on the leads, it can take weeks, months and sometimes years.”


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Tow Truck Driver Killed In 2020 Castaic Crash Identified

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About Rachel Matta

Born and raised in Santa Clarita, Rachel Matta has always had a love for writing and media. The first time she ever smiled was actually while she was laying next to her mom as she flipped through the pages of a magazine. Upon graduating from high school in 2019, she chose to major in both journalism and political science at College of the Canyons with the intention of concentrating in news reporting. She began her journey at KHTS as a news intern in the summer of 2020 and officially joined the newsroom in the spring of 2021, intending to move forward with compassion and inquisition.