Wrong-Way Highway 99 Crash Kills Elk Grove Man, Injures Four

A 21-year-old man from Elk Grove died in a wrong-way, three-vehicle head-on crash on Highway 99 near Hammatt Avenue in Merced County early Monday morning. The man was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu northbound in the southbound lanes when he collided with a 2020 Toyota Camry driven by a 41-year-old San Bernardino man, and then crashed into a big rig's trailer. The Elk Grove driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while his four passengers, all between 18 and 21 years old, sustained moderate to major injuries and were hospitalized. The drivers of the Toyota and the big rig were uninjured and remained cooperative at the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with authorities uncertain if drugs or alcohol played a role. Witnesses or those with information are encouraged to contact CHP Officer Jaytrin Bounlangsly.