Alcohol a possible factor in fatal crash near Bear Creek in Merced, police say

A 22-year-old man died in a single-vehicle collision Friday in Merced, police said.

The male driver and an 18-year-old female passenger were in a 1998 Acura when the car crashed into a tree at 3:07 a.m. Friday in the 1200 block of Northwest Bear Creek Drive, according to a Merced Police Department news release.

Both passengers were flown to Modesto hospitals. The driver died at the hospital a short time later. The female passenger was treated and and later released, according to the Police Department news release.

In a statement released Monday, police said alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

The identity of the male driver was pending notification of next of kin, according to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office. Merced police aren’t releasing the female passenger’s name until the investigation is finished,Sgt. Dan Dabney said.

Anyone with information on the crash is being asked to contact the police department’s traffic division at 209-388-7719, or the tipster line at 209-385-4725. Anonymous text messages can be sent by texting to the number “TIP411” or 847411, and including the word “Comvip” as the text message keyword.

A truncated news release sent to the public initially inferred that both passengers died. But another official news release confirmed only the driver was killed.

This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 2:10 PM.