Visalia man dies after 1940 Buick collides with pole

A Visalia man was killed Thursday night when he struck a power pole, police reported.

The crash occurred just before 6 p.m. as Manuel Mendoza Jr., 55, was eastbound on Walnut Avenue west of Ben Maddox Way when he veered off the road in a 1940 Buick and hit the pole. The Buick caught on fire and firefighters put out the blaze and extracted Mendoza form the car.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Visalia man dies after 1940 Buick collides with pole."