An Escalon man died as a result of injuries sustained in a three-vehicle accident Wednesday morning, Aug. 14 in Oakdale.

The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office identified him as Lawrence Foutch, 33, and the California Highway Patrol said he was the driver of a Hyundai hatchback involved in the crash.

According to the CHP report, Foutch was westbound on Highway 120, west of Meadowlark Lane, in the number two lane of traffic just after 7:30 a.m. He attempted to pass a westbound 2018 Ford sedan that was in the number one lane to his left as the two lanes began to merge. The left rear of the Hyundai collided with the right front of the Ford. The impact caused the Hyundai to rotate, and it entered the eastbound number one lane, directly into the path of an eastbound 2016 Nissan. The front of the Nissan struck the right side of the Hyundai and the hatchback continued in a westerly direction before colliding with a raised concrete curb and a traffic sign.

The driver of the Nissan, a 54-year-old man from Oakdale, was taken by ground ambulance to Kaiser Modesto with minor injuries. The driver of the Ford, a 34-year-old Oakdale woman, was not injured.

CHP officers said all those involved were wearing their seatbelts.

The CHP received the call of the collision at 7:33 a.m.; emergency personnel arriving on scene located three vehicles with collision damage and the driver of the Hyundai succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Eastbound lanes of Highway 120 between River Road and Meadowlark Lane were temporarily closed Wednesday morning due to the investigation.