On Friday, May 20th, 2022, at 1:26 pm, the California Highway Patrol, Turlock Fire Department, and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported vehicle collision with injuries southbound State Route 99 just south of Lander Ave, Turlock.

When crews arrived on scene, they found two vehicles involved. One was a Buick SUV and the other was a Kenworth tractor trailer.

The Buick SUV had a single occupant, a 51-year old female of Livingston, whose identity has not yet been released pending next of kin notification. She suffered major injuries and was ground transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital. Eventually, while at the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries. The Kenworth tractor trailer also had a single occupant, Daljit Singh, 54, of Bakersfield, who was uninjured.

The Buick SUV sustained major damage and was deemed inoperable as a result of the collision, requiring it to be towed away, while the Kenworth tractor trailer sustained minor damage and was able to be driven away from the scene.

Officers began investigating and learned that Singh was traveling southbound on State Route 99 and had a mechanical failure with his truck, so he pulled it off to the right shoulder of the freeway. A little later, the Buick SUV was traveling in the same direction as Singh, and for an unknown reason, its driver allowed her vehicle to enter the right shoulder behind Singh, colliding with the back of Singh’s trailer at before coming to final rest.

Officers determined that the driver of the Buick SUV was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the collision. Due to the lack of intrusion inside the Buick SUV, it is believed that she would have survived the collision if she was properly restrained. “The CHP would like to remind all motorists that seatbelts, when worn properly, have the ability to save lives when involved in a collision,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Thomas Olsen.