Man dies in Denair crash

A 52-year-old man died Monday when he drove his pickup truck into several large rocks and a tree in Denair.

The man was driving a Ford Ranger east on Tuolumne Road toward Gratton Road, a T-intersection, at about 2 p.m.

Witnesses reported seeing the man speed up substantially, drive through a stop sign and run directly into a collection of rocks and a tree in front of a home at the intersection, said California Highway Patrol officer Chuck Leon.

The truck sustained major front-end damage and the man was trapped inside.

Emergency crews tried for some time to free the man from his car but pronounced him dead before they could free him.

Leon said it’s unclear why the man sped into the rocks; the Coroner’s Office will determine if he suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash.

Leon said the man lived locally, but he did not know in which city. His name was not released.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Man dies in Denair crash."