Fresno man identified as Sacramento carjacking suspect who died in Highway 99 rollover
A south Sacramento carjacking suspect died early Wednesday when he crashed a stolen SUV near a construction site in Galt, authorities said.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Robert Stephen Lopez, 36, of Fresno. It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision.
The California Highway Patrol said a good Samaritan was assisting a pedestrian on southbound Highway 99 north of Florin Road at 2 a.m. when Lopez stole his 2000 Dodge Durango. Lopez fled south, but he didn’t get far before crashing.
At 2:27 a.m., Lopez was driving the stolen Durango south on Highway 99 near Simmerhorn Road in Galt, about 20 miles south of Florin Road, when he approached a Caltrans construction site, the CHP said. The No. 1 lane was closed with sign boards and orange traffic cones. As Lopez came upon slower-moving traffic in the No. 2 lane, he crossed into the closure, struck a steel guardrail in the center media and lost control, officers said.
The SUV rolled over while careening toward the right shoulder. Lopez suffered fatal injuries when he was ejected from the vehicle, the CHP said.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Fresno man identified as Sacramento carjacking suspect who died in Highway 99 rollover."
