Dead body closes Highway 99 onramp in Atwater. CHP is investigating
.png)
Update: According to a GoFundMe page established to raise funeral expenses, Juan Olvera Garibo was the man found dead.
His cousin, Cecilia Alcazar of Merced, said he took his own life.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised $1,185.
Original story:
An onramp to Highway 99 in Atwater was closed for nearly three hours Monday after a body was found, according to the California Highway Patrol.
It happened at the onramp to Southbound Highway 99 at Applegate Road.
The California Highway Patrol Central Division initially reported the incident as a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle, but CHP Merced said the person either jumped or fell from overpass.
The incident was reported at around noon and the onramp was closed. It reopened at around 2:40 p.m., according to the CHP.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to CHP Merced Officer Eric Zuniga.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 4:52 PM.
