Atwater, CA – On the night of Tuesday, May 6, 2025, a collision involving a big rig and a pickup truck camper resulted in one death and two injuries, according to KSEE.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that the accident took place around 10:20 PM on northbound Highway 99, south of Atwater Boulevard.
Investigators say a 27-year-old Riverside man was driving a 1979 Chevrolet Silverado with a truck bed camper north on the highway when the camper became detached near Buhach Road and came to rest in the number two lane.
The driver stopped his pickup truck in the same lane and attempted to remove the camper from the roadway. Tragically, a 2023 Kenworth big rig traveling in the same lane struck both the camper and the man.
The man who was struck, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman was also found lying in the roadway with major injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities have not confirmed her role in the incident or her location at the time of the crash. The big rig driver was also transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries.
All lanes of northbound Highway 99 were temporarily blocked due to the crash. The incident remains under investigation, and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Merced area CHP office.