Car skids off Highway 99 and into tree, killing San Francisco driver, CHP says

A driver is dead after skidding off Highway 99 at Herndon Avenue and plowing into a tree Wednesday morning, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The solo-vehicle crash happened just before 6:30 a.m.

The driver was identified by the CHP as a 32-year-old man from San Francisco. He was identified Thursday by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as James Eagleton.

A dog in the vehicle was also reportedly killed in the crash, the coroner’s office said.

The CHP reported the 2019 Nissan Sentra was southbound when the driver lost control in heavy rain. The car went down an embankment and hit a tree just north of the 76 gas station on Parkway Drive. Eagleton was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The CHP said the driver was wearing a seat belt and the car’s airbag deployed.

This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 8:29 AM.