A fatal four-vehicle crash shut down southbound Highway 99 near Galt, California, for nearly ten hours on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The collision, which involved two big rigs and two pickup trucks, happened around 12:25 p.m. south of the Jahant Road overcrossing, near Acampo in San Joaquin County. One driver was trapped in a vehicle and later died at the scene; the three other drivers involved were not injured. California Highway Patrol officers closed the southbound lanes while they investigated, diverting traffic and creating backups reported as far back as Galt.
According to CBS News Sacramento, the driver killed was identified by the San Joaquin County Medical Examiner as 23-year-old Johnatan Cervantes Torres of Sacramento. The outlet reported that southbound lanes closed at about 1 p.m. and did not reopen until roughly 10:45 p.m. that night. The Lodi News-Sentinel additionally reported that CHP requested a hard closure of the highway because a person was trapped in a vehicle, and that a possible fluid leak, though unconfirmed by authorities, allegedly contributed to the extended shutdown. As of publication, CHP had not announced what caused the crash or issued any citations.
