A vehicle crash and fire early Tuesday morning on Interstate 5 southbound just north of State Route 198 near Coalinga left one person dead.
According to California Highway Patrol dispatch logs, the incident was first reported at 2:22 a.m. as a car fire that was later changed to a fatality at 6:01 a.m. Logs indicate a solo vehicle fatality involving a 2004 blue GMC Yukon that was fully engulfed in flames.
Dispatch entries show the vehicle was on fire in the center divider, with possible involvement in a traffic collision. The reporting party advised that two occupants were out of the vehicle and walking around. The vehicle appeared to have front-end and rear-end damage and was overturned in the center divider, with an unknown traffic hazard.
The call was transferred to Cal Fire, and the vehicle was reported as fully engulfed at 2:37 a.m. southbound just south of State Route 145.
A coroner arrived on scene at 4:57 a.m., and a tow truck was requested for the completely burned vehicle.
CHP units were assigned starting at 2:23 a.m., arrived on scene between 2:37 a.m. and 2:45 a.m., and cleared the scene between 5:08 a.m. and 6:01 a.m.
The vehicle was described with only a front license plate, no longer attached, and was impounded as a disabled vehicle in a hazardous location.
Identities and the cause of the crash 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/
