Man killed in Highway 99 crash was headed to family reunion

A man who died in a crash on southbound Highway 99 in Turlock over the weekend was on his way to a family reunion, according to relatives.

Gerardo Ponce, 42, of Sacramento was southbound on Highway 99 when, for unknown reasons, his vehicle veered off the road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Ponce’s Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed through a fence and hit two redwood trees. Ponce was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Ponce was headed to a family reunion in Merced County, where he grew up, according to Sophia Cervantes, who is engaged to one of Ponce’s cousins.

She said when she arrived at the reunion, “I asked where Geraldo was. He had one of those personalities where he is totally welcoming and funny and always has something nice to say to someone.”

She said the family didn’t learn what happened to Ponce until the next day.

Ponce’s family has established a Go Fund Me page to help pay for funeral expenses. To donate go to www.gofundme.com/geraldo-ponce-funeralmemorial-fund

This story was originally published June 29, 2017 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Man killed in Highway 99 crash was headed to family reunion."