Drivers involved in head-on Merced County crash suffer major injuries, CHP says
A major crash involving a semi and box truck that closed Lander Avenue south of Hilmar on Tuesday afternoon resulted in major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash was reported to CHP at 2:02 p.m. of a head-on crash involving two vehicles at Lander Avenue south of Westside Boulevard, a CHP Merced news release said.
CHP’s preliminary investigation determined that a 55-year-old man from Turlock was driving a 2016 Freightliner box truck about 55 mph northbound on Lander/State Route 165.
A 44-year-old man from Winton was driving a 2017 Peterbilt semi hauling about 80,000 pounds of livestock feed southbound on Lander.
For reasons still under investigation, the driver of the Freightliner box truck allowed the vehicle to cross over into the southbound lane, where it collided head-on with the semi.
Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles. They were extracted by CAL FIRE personnel, the news release said.
Both drivers sustained major injuries and were airlifted to hospitals in Modesto.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Alcohol and/or drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash.
Anyone who has information regarding the events leading to the crash is encouraged to contact Officer Rudy Briones at 209-356-6600.
Lander Ave. was closed until about 10 p.m. while CHP completed its investigation and cleaned up the scene.
