The article in the original post is obviously clickbait.
There is no way that I40 with 11 deaths a year is the worst stretch in California. Seriously? That's probably the best road in the entire state and 11 deaths is not even close to I5 which has to run at least 4-5 times further through every populated area of the state. I could think of a couple dozen more.
58? 101? 99? 60? 395? 46? 1? 94?
And those are just the ones I know in the southern half of the state.