A vehicle overturned and caught fire on Interstate 5 southbound just north of State Route 198 near Coalinga early in the morning, leaving one person dead.
According to California Highway Patrol dispatch logs, the incident was reported at 2:21 a.m. as a vehicle on fire in the center divider, with reports of possible involvement in a traffic collision. Logs noted two occupants had exited the vehicle and were walking around. The problem was initially classified as a car fire before being changed to a fatality at 6:01 a.m., with officers describing it as a single-vehicle fatality. The coroner arrived on scene, and a tow truck was requested for the completely burned vehicle.
The vehicle was described as a blue 2004 GMC Yukon with only the front license plate remaining, which was no longer attached. It was impounded as a disabled vehicle.
Officers arrived on scene starting at 2:37 a.m., with the incident cleared by 6:01 a.m. Identities and the cause were not immediately available.
The CHP recorded the crash at GPS coordinates: 36.257907 -120.246414
Sources:
– CHP CAD incident viewer: https://cad.chp.ca.gov/
