A driver who died after a crash along Interstate 5 in Stockton over the weekend was a California Highway Patrol cadet, the agency said.

The crash happened a little before 10 p.m. on Oct. 19. CHP said traffic was stopped along northbound I-5 near Benjamin Holt Drive due to it being the start of the construction area.

It appears the driver, identified as 24-year-old Peter Steve Lopez-Pelaez, didn't see that traffic was stopped, CHP said.

Lopez-Pelaez then crashed into the back of a stopped big rig, lodging the smaller vehicle underneath it. No evidence of an evasive maneuver or tire friction marks was found, investigators said.

Lopez-Pelaez was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP said.

Tuesday, CHP Stockton confirmed that Lopez-Pelaez was a cadet with the agency. He started on August 11, 2025, and the CHP stated that he was nearing the completion of his academy training.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Cadet Lopez-Pelaez," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. "The loss of any member of our CHP family is deeply felt throughout the Department."