Man stuck and killed by tractor on Highway 59 in Merced County, CHP says

A man was killed Sunday when he was struck by a tractor in Merced County, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Officer Eric Zuniga said officers responded to the collision on Highway 59 at about 6:41 a.m. Sunday.

Zuniga said a 52-year-old Merced man was driving a Case tractor south on Highway 59 north of Bellevue Road at about 16 to 18 mph when a man ran in front of the vehicle and was struck by the tractor.

The Merced County Coroner’s Office identified the man as 19-year-old Irvin Aguilar of Palo Alto.

According to authorities, Aguilar was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Zuniga, the crash is still under investigation and it is unknown why the man, who was walking north on the right shoulder of Highway 59, ran in front of the vehicle.

The driver of the tractor was cooperative with law enforcement and was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision, according to the CHP.

This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 2:01 PM.