Highway 99 pursuit ends in fatal crash in Modesto when Merced driver loses control
A pursuit that began in Merced County early Saturday ended in a fatal crash in Modesto when the driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed, the California Highway Patrol reported.
About 2:19 a.m. Saturday, the CHP responded to a 911 call from a motorist who reported being tailgated by another vehicle on northbound Highway 99 near Highway 140 in Merced County. The caller said the driver of the tailgating vehicle also was flashing his high beams, according to a news release.
A CHP officer located the accused driver, in a 1997 Toyota SUV, about 12 miles north on Highway 99 near Sultana Drive.
An enforcement stop was attempted to check on the welfare of the Toyota’s driver, the CHP reported. But the driver sped away, resulting in a pursuit into Stanislaus County.
The driver took the Kansas Avenue exit and went west. Shortly after crossing Carpenter Road, he lost control of the SUV and went off the north edge of the road.
The vehicle struck a cinder-block wall, a tree and a power pole before coming to rest, the CHP reported. The driver, a 39-year-old Merced man, was alone in the SUV and died at the scene.
He was not wearing his seat belt, according to the CHP, and it has not yet been determined if alcohol and/or drugs factored in the crash.
Kansas Avenue between Carpenter Road and Rosemore Avenue was closed the majority of the morning hours, CHP Modesto office spokesman Officer Thomas Olsen said.
The identity of the driver was withheld pending notification of family.
This story was originally published February 7, 2021 at 10:45 AM.
