Woman dies after crash amid Highway 99 chase, Merced police say

A Merced woman who sped away from police officers suffered fatal injuries when her vehicle ran off Highway 99 and crashed into a tree, authorities said.

The 43-year-old woman died at a Modesto hospital after the crash Wednesday night, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

The name of the woman was being withheld Thursday pending notification of family.

The crash stemmed from a pursuit that began in south Merced about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the CHP report. Officers with the Merced Police Department attempted to stop an Isuzu Trooper that officers said ran a stop sign at M and 13th streets and was seen with a man hanging onto the outside of the vehicle.

Officers said the driver came to a stop and that the man jumped off the Isuzu, but the driver then sped off and drove onto southbound Highway 99 at Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

According to the CHP report, police gave chase on the highway as the driver of the Isuzu reached speeds of about 95 miles per hour. The Isuzu driver drifted into the center median and struck a concrete wall near Yosemite Parkway. Then the vehicle veered back across the southbound lanes, struck a guardrail on the right shoulder and drove down an embankment before striking a tree.

The woman driving the Isuzu was thrown from the vehicle. She was transported to Doctors Medical center, where she died from her injuries.

The California Highway Patrol is asking anyone with information about the crash or the man who jumped from the vehicle to contact the Merced-area office at 209-356-2629.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Woman dies after crash amid Highway 99 chase, Merced police say."