A former defensive end at Benicia High School, Jacob Dortch, passed away in a single-car accident on Interstate 780 on December 8, 2025, in Benicia at the young age of 23.
Jacob Dortch is survived by his mother, Jenessa Holland, girlfriend, Destinee Lewis, sister, several cousins, including Sarah Gilmore, Amber Cross, and more.
A GoFundMe campaign was created by his girlfriend, Destinee, to collect funds for his funeral.
His mother, Jenessa, wrote, “No date has been set yet for the funeral. Gofundme required date. More information will come. I appreciate everyone for all the love and support. Thank you for your generous donations.“
His cousin, Sarah Gilmore, penned a heartfelt tribute post, expressing her grief, which reads:
My cousin and and all around great young man. His heart and his energy was everything. My heart breaks for his mom and our family. He is gone way too soon. Love you forever and always Jacob.
Steve Young, the mayor of the City of Benicia, shared pictures of the crowd that showed up at the Benicia Gazebo to honor Jacob. He wrote:
A large, young, and diverse crowd turned out in the cold tonight at the Benicia Gazebo to share tears,laughs and memories of Jacob Dortch, who was tragically killed in a car accident yesterday.
Steve Young
Reportedly, the crash happened around 7:45 a.m. on the westbound side of the highway, right near the Southampton Road on-ramp.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Dortch was driving a silver Toyota RAV4 by himself when the vehicle slammed into a guardrail. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers who investigated the wreck said unsafe speed looks to have been the main reason the Toyota left the roadway and hit the railing.
According to reports, no other vehicles were involved, and no one else was hurt.
Meanwhile, the CHP is still looking into exactly what happened, but early reports from the scene all point to the car going too fast for the conditions or the curve in that stretch of road.
Jacob Dortch grew up playing football in Benicia and wore number 67 for the Benicia High School Panthers.
He started on the varsity team as a sophomore and stayed there through his senior year in 2021.
The 6-foot-3-inch-tall Jacob lined up mostly on the defensive line as a defensive end and sometimes as a guard on offense.
He was the kind of player who showed up every Friday night ready to hit somebody, recording tackles in almost every game and picking up a few sacks along the way.
After he graduated from Benicia High in 2021, Jacob took his game down the coast to Santa Barbara City College.
He joined the Vaqueros football program and kept playing defensive tackle. He stayed on the roster there for a few years, working with the team through the 2025 season.
Following his tragic demise, several came forward to express their grief and condolences.
Scott Swatz, a coach at Benicia High School, expressed her grief, writing:
💔Lost another great kid today, Jacob Dortch. “DORTCH” was one of kind with a HUGE heart. He was loyal and became one of my main guys while at BHS. 💪 For better or worse he always made you smile. We will all miss you man. 💔🫡
Scott Swatz
Tiffany Bailey, the mother of Jacob’s friend in high school, wrote, “Sad, my son’s high school football friend 🧡“
Any further updates about his funeral and memorial services haven’t been published by his mother.
During this challenging time, our condolences go out to his mother, girlfriend, sister, friends, and extended family.
Rest Easy, Jacob Dortch!
