Newsom signs ‘Tristin’s Bill’ into law after deadly Highway 74 crash
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1145, known as “Tristin’s Bill,” into law Sunday — a safety measure named for 27-year-old Tristin Bourgeois of La Quinta, who died in October 2024 when a big rig lost control on Highway 74 near Vista Point and hit his pickup while he was driving to work.
Tristin’s stepmother Tina Bourgeois said the family learned of the signing in the middle of the night from Assemblyman Gonzalez’s office.
“He really lit up a room. He loved to play music. He loved to fish. He loved to be with his family,” Tina said of Tristin. “He’s deeply missed. We miss going on our camping trips with him and all of us getting together and just playing music, fishing, everything we all love to do together.”
The family’s fight for change has been about more than a single tragedy. “It’s not about banning trucks. It’s about accountability. It’s about safety,” Tina said. “We will not stop until we have safety on Highway 74. That is my goal.”
The new law requires Caltrans to weigh the cost of local traffic safety requests against other solutions, and to provide written explanations when it rejects them.
Assemblymen Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, and Greg Wallis, R-Bermuda Dunes, introduced the bill in April 2025. The original version called for a Caltrans study of crash data and 911 calls on Highway 74; that language was removed before final passage.
“I want to thank the Governor for signing AB 1145, Tristin’s Bill, into law. I also want to thank Assemblymember Greg Wallis and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez for their partnership throughout this process. Most importantly, I want to recognize Tristin’s family and the residents of our mountain communities. They turned their pain and concerns into action, made their voices heard, and never stopped fighting for change. This is an important step toward greater transparency and accountability, but it is just one step in our continued efforts to make our roads safer and protect the communities we serve.” – Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez
A Riverside Transportation study shows larger trucks cannot safely maneuver Highway 74 and cannot stay in their lane. Tina said the family now expects that data to be put into action.
“AB 1145 was written in memory of La Quinta’s Tristin Bourgeois, who was killed on Highway 74 in 2024. It will require greater transparency in how Caltrans responds to local highway safety concerns and help ensure communities have a clearer understanding of what is being done to address dangerous road conditions. Grateful to Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez for working with me on this effort, and especially to Tristin’s family for their strength and advocacy throughout the process.” – Assemblymember Greg Wallis
“We have all the warning signs. We have the engineering and the data in front of us,” she said. “Now it’s time to put the study into action.”
Highway 74 is a state highway, so local governments cannot restrict traffic on it without Caltrans approval. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
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