Ripon motorcyclist, 20, killed in Highway 99 crash that snarled traffic for hours
A 20-year-old Ripon man was killed Wednesday afternoon when he lost control of his motorcycle on Highway 99 and collided with a big rig, the California Highway Patrol reports.
The crash happened shortly before 2:30 p.m. on northbound 99 south of Main Street in Ripon. The rider of a 2009 Kawasaki was going about 60 mph, splitting traffic between the No. 1 and No. 2 lanes, according to a CHP news release.
He lost control and the motorcycle fell onto its side, sliding into the trailer of a Freightliner tractor-trailer traveling in the No. 2 lane.
The rider, identified by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office as Jonathan Williams, became tangled in the fourth and fifth axles of the big rig and was run over. He died at the scene.
The Freightliner driver, a 63-year-old Manteca resident, was not injured, the CHP said.
According to Caltrans’ Twitter feed, the two lanes of traffic were closed because of the collision. By 3:35 p.m., Caltrans was reporting heavy congestion on northbound Highway 99.
It wasn’t until shortly after 5 p.m. that the No. 2 lane reopened, and at 5:24 p.m., Caltrans reported all lanes again were open.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 10:52 AM.
