MERCED COUNTY, CA – A head-on crash in Merced County claimed the lives of two people late Sunday night on Highway 59, south of Washington Road near Chowchilla, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The collision occurred shortly after 11:00 p.m. when a 28-year-old woman driving a 2022 Toyota Camry southbound veered into the northbound lanes. Her vehicle collided head-on with a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by a 30-year-old man.
The impact was so severe that both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet determined why the woman crossed into oncoming traffic, and it remains unclear whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the fatal Merced County crash.
This tragedy adds to the growing number of fatal collisions on California highways, where head-on crashes remain one of the deadliest types of roadway accidents.
