A man was killed Tuesday afternoon west of Lodi in San Joaquin County when the car he was driving appears to have veered into oncoming traffic on state Highway 12, according to California Highway Patrol.
Just after 4 p.m., a Volkswagen Passat was traveling west on Highway 12, west of Guard Road, at between 50 and 55 mph. At the same time, a Honda Accord was traveling east on the same stretch. For unknown reasons, the driver of the Passat, a 47-year-old man, crossed over the double yellow line and into the eastbound lane, where his car collided head-on with the Honda.
After the crash, an eastbound Toyota Prius collided with the two other vehicles.
The man driving the Passat was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Honda suffered major injuries but is expected to survive. The driver of the Prius had minor injuries, according to CHP.
All involved were wearing seatbelts, CHP said. It is not yet known if drugs or alcohol played a factor in the collision.