Big rig veers off Highway 99, crashes down embankment in Merced, CHP says

No injuries were reported Tuesday, after a big rig hauling produce left Highway 99 and crashed down an embankment, according to authorities.

At about 11:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol officers responded to the crash in the area of Highway 99 and 14th Street in Merced, according to Officer Eric Zuniga.

According to the CHP, a Fresno man was driving a big rig north in the number two lane of Highway 99 hauling about 10,000 pounds of produce.

For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered to the right, and crashed down an embankment before coming to rest on 14th Street near Costco, according to the CHP.

Zuniga said the big rig took out about 100 feet of guardrail before traveling down the embankment where it crashed through a chain link fence and struck a tree.

Authorities shut down 14th Street for about an hour as crews worked to extract the big rig from the scene, according to Zuniga. The CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision which remains under investigation.