A 68-year-old man was killed early Tuesday in a solo crash involving a wrong-way driver on Highway 99 in Merced, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol said the Merced Communications Center received reports at about 1:26 a.m. of a vehicle traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 99 north of 16th Street. While officers were responding, additional callers reported the vehicle had crashed into the center median and possibly left the roadway.

At about 1:37 a.m., officers located a 2013 BMW SUV overturned and partially submerged in Bear Creek between the northbound and southbound bridges of Highway 99. Emergency responders entered the creek and found a solo adult male deceased in the driver’s seat, CHP said.

The driver was identified as a 68-year-old man from Santa Ana. Northbound lanes of Highway 99 were affected for about three hours as crews extricated the driver and recovered the vehicle from Bear Creek.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors.

CHP asked anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about the events leading up to it to contact Investigating Officer Angel Fuentes at (209) 356-6600.

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