Driver killed in Merced County head-on collision identified by authorities

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has released the identity of a driver who was killed in December 2023 Merced County head-on collision as 20-year-old Joseph Gonzalez of Fresno, according to Deputy Michael Domingue.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to a report of a head-on collision in the area of Highway 59 and Rahilly Road at about 10:47 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2023. According to the CHP, it appears Gonzalez was driving a 2019 Jeep SUV southbound on Highway 59, south of McNamara Road. For unknown reasons, the Jeep veered to the left directly in the path of a 2020 Freightliner box truck traveling northbound on Highway 59 at about 50 mph.

The vehicles collided head-on in the northbound lane and Gonzalez died of his injuries at the scene, according to the CHP. Authorities said the driver of the box truck, a 54-year-old man from Fresno, did not sustain any injuries in the collision and cooperated with investigating officers.