An accident just north of Bradbury Road on southbound Highway 99 Monday morning claimed the life of a Livingston man.
The man was identified as Carlos Aguilar, 36, by the Merced County Coroner’s Office.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Aguilar was driving a 1993 Acura southbound on 99 at an unknown speed around 3:45 a.m. Monday.
The vehicle drifted off the highway and onto the dirt shoulder, where it struck a wooden sign post, said CHP spokesman Officer Shane Ferriera.
The Acura continued on in a southwesterly direction, hitting a barbed wire fence, before it came to a stop.
The vehicle burst into flames and was engulfed within minutes, Ferriera said. Aguilar was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision. The accident remains under investigation.