FRESNO, Calif (FOX26) — A crash on Highway 99 in Fresno on Wednesday night led to the death of a driver and the temporary closure of the southbound lanes.
The California Highway Patrol received multiple reports around 10:30 p.m. of vehicles hitting an engine block in the far-left lane of the highway, just south of Highway 180.
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Other reports were received about a car that had gone down an embankment in the same area.
CHP says a Nissan Sentra was traveling southbound on SR-99 when the driver made an unsafe turn to the right, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway.
The car traveled down an embankment and collided with an overhead sign pole.
The impact was so severe that the vehicle’s engine separated and landed in the southbound lanes, where it was hit by three passing vehicles, resulting in minor injuries.
The driver of the Nissan was transported to Community Regional Medical Center but did not survive.
The crash caused debris and fluids to spread across all three southbound lanes, necessitating a full closure of the roadway.
Traffic was diverted onto SR-180 while Caltrans conducted cleanup and lane repairs.
The freeway was fully reopened at 1:30 a.m.
CHP is investigating the cause of the crash, and it is currently unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors, pending toxicology results.