TURLOCK — A 19‑year‑old Turlock man was killed early Tuesday when his SUV veered off Highway 99 and burst into flames just north of West Main Street, the California Highway Patrol said.

The driver, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Carson Souza, died at the scene.

The crash was reported at about 12:23 a.m. Emergency crews arrived to find a Chevrolet SUV of unknown model year fully engulfed in flames. Souza was the only person in the vehicle.

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, causing it to ignite.

It is not yet known whether Souza was wearing a seat belt, or whether alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash.

The investigation remains ongoing.