Turlock man dies in crash near Knights Ferry

A 23-year-old Turlock man is dead after crashing head-on with another vehicle on Highway 108/120 in Knights Ferry on Wednesday..

The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. west of Kennedy Road, said California Highway Patrol Officer Aaron Keller.

The man was driving a Jeep Cherokee west on the highway when for unknown reasons he drifted into the eastbound lane and crashed head-on with a Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Turlock man died at the scene.

The driver of the Chevrolet, a 55-year-old Los Altos man, had to be extricated from his vehicle by firefighters, Keller said. He was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries.

Both lanes of traffic were blocked while officers investigated the crash. The CHP and Caltrans set up a detour around the accident via Orange Blossom Road until the highway was reopened around 5 p.m.

Keller said the cause of the crash remains under investigation but drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor.

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Turlock man dies in crash near Knights Ferry."