TURLOCK — A driver was killed early Tuesday after their SUV veered off Highway 99 and erupted in flames just north of West Main Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officials said the crash was reported at about 12:23 a.m. Emergency crews arrived to find a Chevrolet SUV of unknown model year fully engulfed. The driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, died at the scene.

The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office will release the driver’s name once family has been notified, said CHP spokesman Officer Tom Olsen.

A preliminary investigation indicates the SUV was traveling north in the fast lane when, for reasons still under review, it suddenly veered to the right. The vehicle crossed the middle and slow lanes before leaving the freeway in a northeasterly direction and striking a tree. The impact caused the SUV to catch fire.

It is not yet known whether the driver was wearing a seat belt, or whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash.

The investigation is ongoing.