A 22-year-old Ceres man was killed Sunday morning when his car careened off of southbound Highway 99 just north of South Ninth Street and rolled down an embankment.

The victim was identified as Israel Capuchin.

The crash was reported at 10:08 a.m. The CHP and emergency personnel arrived on scene and located a 1998 Chevrolet sedan down a dirt embankment, west of the freeway, where it struck several trees and overturned. It landed just west of South Ninth Street. Emergency personnel found Capuchin – ejected from the car because he was not wearing a seatbelt – lying near his car.

The mortally injured driver was rushed by ambulance to Doctors Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

The CHP’s initial investigation concluded that Capuchin was in the fast lane when for an unknown reason the Chevrolet crossed all southbound lanes before shooting off the west edge of the freeway.

It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs contributed to the collision.