61-year-old Madera woman dies in rollover crash on Highway 99 in Merced County

A 61-year-old Madera woman was killed Tuesday night in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 99, according to California Highway Patrol.

CHP Merced responded to a 7:50 p.m. call of an overturned vehicle in the southbound lanes of Highway 99, south of Westside Boulevard, CHP Merced Officer Eric Zuniga said.

A Ford Escape was driving about 85 to 90 mph in the left lane behind a Nissan Altima, Zuniga said.

Witnesses told officers the Madera woman driving the Escape made an unsafe turn to the left, causing the Escape to drive off the eastern edge of the roadway into the dirt and median before rotating on its wheels and re-entering traffic, Zuniga said.

The Escape started to roll over on its driver side in front of the Altima. The driver of the Altima, 27-year-old Turlock resident Mario Alarcon, told officers he tried to slow down, but couldn’t avoid a collision with the tumbling Escape.

After the collision, both vehicles came to rest on their wheels and the Madera driver died at the scene, Zuniga said. Her identity was being withheld pending notification of her family. Alarcon didn’t report injuries.

The left and center southbound lanes of Highway 99 were closed for about two hours after the collision, Zuniga said.

Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, Zuniga said.