Hilmar man injured in crash on Highway 99 in Merced County

A 20-year-old Hilmar man was hospitalized Thursday after he was involved in a collision with a big rig on Highway 99 near Westside Boulevard.

The man was headed south about 10:15 a.m. on Highway 99 in his silver Dodge Neon when he lost control and hit the big rig, said Officer Moises Onsurez, a California Highway Patrol public information officer.

The man was pinned in the vehicle and emergency responders had to use the Jaws of Life to free him from it, said Dana McCarroll, an engineer with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Livingston.

The man was flown to a Modesto hospital with head injuries but the severity of his condition was unknown, Onsurez said.

The Dodge Neon partially blocked the left lane temporarily while crews worked to tow it away.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Hilmar man injured in crash on Highway 99 in Merced County."