Man found dead inside car that went off Highway 99 into orchard near Turlock

A 40-year-old man was found dead inside his vehicle off Highway 99 Friday morning following a rollover accident near Taylor Road in Turlock.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Olsen said investigators don’t know when the accident occurred. The vehicle, a Ford sedan, was spotted by a passerby when the sun started to come up just before 5:30 a.m. He said the engine was cool to the touch when first responders got on scene.

The preliminary investigation indicates the man was traveling southbound, south of Taylor Road, when for unknown reasons he allowed the Ford to veer to the right and leave the roadway.

The Ford traveled down an embankment, through a barbed wire fence and hit two trees before coming to rest on its roof, Olsen said.

The man, who is from Dinuba in Tulare County, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released.

Olsen said it is unknown if drugs or alcohol contributed to the collision.

There has been a rise in fatal collisions in the San Joaquin Valley, including in Stanislaus County, on the Highways and country roads since 2019, according to data from the California Highway Patrol.

The the number of fatal collisions handled by the CHP so far this year compared to last has more than doubled from 16 to 36, Olsen said.

Despite enforcement efforts by the CHP Olsen said “people are making a lot of bad choices out there on the roadway.”

He said speed, impaired driving and not wearing seat belts continue to be major factors in the increase in fatalities.

This story was originally published June 18, 2021 at 7:37 AM.