Fiery crash kills man and injures others near El Nido, Merced CHP says
A 58-year-old man was killed Saturday evening in a fiery crash near El Nido in Merced County, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The fatal collision occurred at 6:36 p.m., when the man was driving a 2000 Chevy Blazer eastbound on Sandy Mush Road approaching Highway 59.
A 40-year-old man was driving a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck southbound on Highway 59. He had the right of way, but the driver of the Blazer did not stop at a stop sign, said Eric Zuniga, public information officer for the CHP Merced office.
The vehicles collided, both going between 55 and 60 miles per hour, he said.
The man driving the Blazer was killed. He was not identified, pending notification of family members.
“We don’t know yet whether alcohol had anything to do with this. It doesn’t appear to be weather, (he) just basically failed to stop at the stop sign,” Zuniga said. “According to witnesses, there was no attempt to brake at all.”
The Blazer immediately became engulfed in flames, though a 28-year-old man was able to escape from the front passenger seat with no injuries.
Four people in the F-150 were injured. The driver had minor-to-moderate injuries and was taken to a Modesto hospital.
A 37-year-old woman in the front passenger seat received minor to moderate injuries. A 15- and 13-year-old were taken to a hospital in the Modesto area with non-life-threatening injuries.
This story was originally published December 13, 2020 at 1:16 PM.
