Driver killed in Highway 99 rollover collision identified by Merced County Coroner

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has identified the driver killed in a rollover collision along Highway 99 near Merced on Wednesday, as 67-year-old Joe Roberts of San Diego, according to Deputy Alexandra Britton.

According to the California Highway Patrol, officers responded to the collision at about 1:48 p.m. along the Northbound lanes of Highway 99 just north of Franklin Road. Authorities said Roberts was driving a 2000 Lexus ES-300 sedan northbound on Highway 99 in the number one lane. For unknown reasons, the driver veered to the right and allowed the vehicle to travel off the shoulder of the highway where it overturned several times.

Officers and medical personnel arrived on scene and located the vehicle which sustained major rollover damage, according to the CHP. A 41-year-old woman who was riding in the vehicle in the right front passenger seat suffered moderate injuries in the collision. She was transported to Mercy Medical Center for treatment. Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the CHP.