Driver killed in head-on collision identified as Merced man, coroner says

A Merced man killed in a head-on collision this week has been identified, the Merced County Coroner’s Office said Wednesday.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene on the outskirts of Merced, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was identified as Tdoot Saelee, 45, of Merced, according to the coroner’s office.

He was driving a 2012 Toyota Camry south on Highway 59 between Reilly Road and Vassar Avenue. For unknown reasons, the car drifted into the northbound lane, according to Officer Eric Zuniga.

The car collided head-on with a 2011 Ford F-250 utility truck driven by Larry Mitchell, 51, of Los Banos, at about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to the CHP.

The impact caused the truck to overturn twice and both vehicles came to rest on the northbound shoulder of the highway, CHP said.

Saelee was thrown from his car. It’s unclear if he was wearing a seat belt because the car was damaged severely on the driver’s side, Zuniga said.

Mitchell was taken by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center with minor injuries, CHP said.

A third vehicle, a GMC Terrain, sustained damage when debris struck the windshield and other parts of the car, Zuniga said. The driver was not injured.

This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Driver killed in head-on collision identified as Merced man, coroner says."