Winton man killed in Merced County crash that may have involved speeding, CHP says

A Winton man was killed after his vehicle was rear-ended in a Merced County traffic collision that witnesses say may have been caused by high speeds, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The 62-year-old Winton man was driving a 1987 Toyota MR2 north on Vincent Road, north of Delhi, and was making a left turn onto Linwood Road at about 5:50 a.m. Thursday when a 2014 Lexus sedan rear-ended him, CHP Merced Officer Eric Zuniga said.

Witnesses told investigators the Lexus, driven by 20-year-old Delhi resident Efren Ceballos Gonzalez, was driving between 70 and 100 mph at the time of the collision, Zuniga said, noting the posted speed limit on the road is 55 mph.

The Winton man, whose identity was not released pending notification to next of kin, was killed in the collision. Gonzalez was transported by AMR ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto for treatment of moderate injuries.

“Right now we’re still investigating,” Zuniga said, adding investigators plan to interview Gonzalez at the hospital to determine if and why he was speeding. “We’re still not ruling out any possible drugs or alcohol that could be involved.”