Dinuba driver killed when wheel breaks free and smashes his windshield on Highway 99

A Dinuba man was killed Friday in a freak accident on Highway 99 in Kern County, the California Highway Patrol said.

The accident happened when the left rear wheel assembly detached from a northbound 2009 Ford and flew across the center divide directly into the windshield of a southbound Dinuba man, 30, who has not been identified. When the wheel assembly struck the man’s 2010 Dodge, it penetrated the windshield and caused major injuries to the driver. The accident happened on Highway 99 south of Lerdo Highway.

The Dodge traveled west, off of the highway, and ended up stopping on a dirt and grass shoulder. The injured man was taken to Kern Medical Center, but the Kern County Coroner’s Office reported the man dead shortly before 10 p.m.

The CHP said the man who died was not wearing a seatbelt. The Dodge was also carrying a 9-year-old child, who suffered only minor injuries and was taken to Kern Medical Center.

The accident was first reported to the CHP just after 5:30 p.m.. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the crash.

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Dinuba driver killed when wheel breaks free and smashes his windshield on Highway 99."