Driver killed in head-on crash with dump truck in Merced County, authorities say
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- CHP says a southbound Ford Fusion crossed into northbound lane and struck a dump truck.
- Fusion driver died at scene; CHP responded at 6:21 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, near SR-59 and Oakdale Road.
- CHP says drugs and alcohol not suspected; investigator requests tips at 209-356-6600.
The driver of a sedan was killed in a Merced County crash Tuesday, when the vehicle collided head-on with a dump truck, authorities said.
California Highway Patrol officers responded to the reported head-on collision that occurred in the area of State Route 59 and Oakdale Road at 6:21 a.m..
According to the CHP’s preliminary investigation, a man was driving a 2012 Ford Fusion southbound on State Route 59, south of Oakdale Road at an undetermined speed. For unknown reasons, the driver appears to have allowed the vehicle to cross into the northbound lane of the road, where it collided with the driver’s side of a 2026 Western dump truck driven by a 30-year-old Merced man traveling north on the roadway, the CHP said.
Authorities said the driver of the Ford suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the dump truck did not report any injuries and fully cooperated with authorities.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation and neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the crash, the CHP said.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the investigating officer Chad Williams at 209-356-6600.