Planada man killed in collision

A 22-year-old Planada man was killed early Thursday after crashing into a utility pole on East Olive Avenue in Merced, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The victim’s name was not released.

Investigators believe he was westbound in a 2009 Pontiac sedan around 4:20 a.m. on East Olive Avenue, east of Kibby Road, when his car struck a small animal. Investigators said the driver, “for an unknown reason, made an unsafe turning movement,” and the vehicle left the road and struck the power pole.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Planada man killed in collision."