Update: Big rig driver identified in 99 fatal. Traffic still backed up to Turlock
Authorities have identified the Sacramento truck driver who died early Friday morning when his big rig veered off northbound Highway 99 and overturned near Keyes. And traffic remained backed up into midafternoon Friday.
Muni Kumar, 54, was driving north of Faith Home Road at 3:15 a.m. when, for unknown reasons, he allowed the big rig to drift to the right and leave the east side of the road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
It sideswiped another big rig and a Toyota Camry that were both parked on the shoulder, then continued in a northeasterly direction and hit a dirt embankment.
The crash into the embankment caused the big rig to overturn and land on its left side, the CHP said. Kumar died at the scene.
No one was in the parked big rig when it was sideswiped and three people in the Toyota, all from Winton, were not injured, said CHP officer Tom Olsen.
The big rig’s tractor was towed from the scene shortly after sunrise but the trailer, which was loaded with a fork lift and some batteries, remained at the scene as of 2 p.m.
Olsen said an environmental team had to respond to the scene for a small diesel spill and to check for hazardous material in the trailer before it was was eventually pulled onto Rohde Road. Crews started unloading the cargo shortly after 1 p.m.
Northbound traffic has remained backed up into Turlock throughout the day.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
