Sonora Area CHP Image
Tuolumne County, CA—A fatal rollover crash on New Priest Grade/Highway 120 on Thursday took the life of a Lodi man whose body was not discovered until the next day.
The wreck occurred around 4:14 p.m. between Grizzly and East River roads. According to CHP spokesperson Steve Machado, the 43-year-old man was westbound on the highway and moving at a high rate of speed in a 2014 GMC Sierra truck.
“As the vehicle approached a right curve in the roadway, the driver allowed his vehicle to leave the roadway and travel off the south roadway edge of the highway,” explained Machado. “As a result, the vehicle became airborne, coming to rest nearly 400 feet down a steep, brush-covered embankment after overturning multiple times.”
When officers arrived on the scene, it was getting dark, and the terrain was rough, not allowing them to locate the vehicle or the driver until just after 11 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026.
“The responding CHP officer negotiated difficult terrain on foot down the embankment and discovered this crash resulted in fatal injuries to the driver,” added Machado.
The CHP had earlier reported that the vehicle had been ripped in half and was under power lines, possibly requiring a helicopter instead of a tow truck to retrieve it, but it is unclear if that was used in the end.
The victim’s name is not being released pending notification of the family. It is unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision, as the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Written by Tracey Petersen.
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