Early morning crash causes lane closure on Highway 99 in Merced, CHP says

Authorities have closed a lane on a section of Highway 99 in Merced after an early morning crash involving a big rig.

At about 5:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol officers responded to the crash in the southbound lanes of Highway 99 just south of R Street, according to CHP officer Eric Zuniga. The CHP said a 43-year-old man driving a 2014 Freightliner big rig was traveling south in the No. 1 lane when for unknown reasons, the vehicle crashed into a metal guardrail.

The California Department of Transportation is currently on the scene and the No. 1 lane of southbound Highway 99 is closed as crews work to repair about 150 feet of guardrail, according to Zuniga.

The driver of the big rig complained of pain and was not transported to a hospital. Neither drugs nor alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash, according to the CHP.

Zuniga said the lane closure and repair work has caused traffic to back up along that stretch of highway. Work to repair the section of guardrail is expected to be completed around 12 p.m., and motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes if possible, according to the CHP.

This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 10:27 AM.