Solo accident leads to fatality

The California Highway patrol Merced Communications Center received a call about a crash on Road 29 and Road 607 in Madera County.

The call came in at about 6:30 Saturday morning. Upon initial investigation, a 2008 Ford Fusion was traveling southbound on Road 29, south of Road 607 at an unknown high rate of speed.

For an unknown reason, the driver of the Ford made an unsafe turning movement towards his right and ran off the roadway. The Ford crashed into a barbed wire fence and proceeded to overturn in a southwesterly direction within a dirt and grass field on the west side of Road 29. The Ford received major damage in the crash and as a result the driver sustained fatal injuries.

At this time, it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor in the crash. This crash remains under investigation.

Bicycle rider killed in crash

Early Monday morning, the CHP received a call about a vehicle collision with a bicycle on Raymond Road, south of Road 28.

A male, (name withheld pending identification and notification of next of kin by the Madera County Coroner’s Office) was riding a Huffy beach cruiser-type bicycle northbound on the west dirt shoulder of Raymond Road south of Road 28 in an unincorporated portion of Madera County. At the same time, an unknown driver in an unknown vehicle was driving southbound on Raymond Road south of Road 28 approaching the bicyclist.

For an unknown reason, the driver of the vehicle made an unsafe turning movement and allowed the vehicle to go off the roadway onto the west dirt shoulder. The right front of the vehicle hit the right side of the bicyclist. As a result of the crash, the bicyclist was ejected from the bike to the ground. The bicyclist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Following the crash, the driver of the unknown vehicle fled the scene without stopping. It is unknown if alcohol and or drugs were an associated factor in this crash.

This crash remains under investigation.

Anyone who was in the area at the time of this crash with information about the involved hit and run vehicle or the identity of the driver of that vehicle is asked to please contact the CHP Madera Area Office or Public Information Officer Javier Ruvalcaba at 675-1025.