Around 2:12 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to reports of a car accident on Highway 99 south of Hammatt Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a three-vehicle head-on collision with one fatality.
According to CHP, a 21-year-old Elk Grove man was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu sedan the wrong way northbound when he collided with a 41-year-old San Bernardino man driving a 2020 Toyota Camry sedan in the southbound lane at 65 mph.
For unknown reasons, police said the drivers did not see each other until they collided. The front of the Chevrolet collided with the right front of the Toyota. That collision caused the Chevrolet to veer to the left, into the path of a large truck traveling southbound in the third lane.
According to CHP, the 26-year-old big rig driver was unable to safely stop the big rig in time to avoid the crash, and the Chevrolet collided with the truck trailer. The driver of the Chevrolet was pronounced dead on the scene. All four occupants of the Chevrolet, aged 19 to 21, were taken to local hospitals with moderate to serious injuries.
According to the CHP, the big rig and Toyota drivers were uninjured and were not transported by medical personnel. Both drivers remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigating officers.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated. It is unclear whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash. Anyone who witnessed the incident may contact Officer Jaytrin Bounlangsly at 209-356-6600.
