A driver died Wednesday night after his car veered off southbound Highway 99 in Fresno, crashed into an overhead sign pole and sent its engine block flying into traffic, authorities said.

The crash was reported around 10:30 p.m. just south of Highway 180, where multiple callers told the California Highway Patrol that vehicles were striking an engine block lying in the far-left lane. Other callers reported a black Nissan Sentra down an embankment in the same area.

CHP investigators said the Sentra had been traveling southbound when, for unknown reasons, the driver made an unsafe turn, left the roadway and hit the pole. The impact tore the engine from the car, and three vehicles struck it moments later, causing minor injuries.

Emergency crews found the Sentra’s driver unconscious and began lifesaving measures before transporting him to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died around 11 p.m., officials said.

Debris and spilled fluids closed all three southbound lanes, forcing traffic to detour onto Highway 180 while Caltrans crews cleaned and repaired the roadway. The highway reopened at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.

It is not yet known whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, which remains under investigation.

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