UPDATE: Name of Bakersfield man who died in Hwy. 166 crash released

By Staff report

A Bakersfield man died Tuesday after he veered into oncoming traffic on Highway 166 and collided head-on with a big rig, authorities said.

Charles McAtee, 41 was headed east on the two-lane, undivided highway, driving a white 2007 Corvette, said CHP Sgt. Mike Clare.

The crash about 17 miles east of Highway 101 happened about 2:35 p. m. and left the big rig blocking the highway in both directions.

Investigators said McAtee, who was not wearing his seat belt when the crash occurred, was taken to Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria in critical condition. He died at the hospital at 5:35 p.m.

“When a big rig hits a car head-on driving at highway speeds, the driver of the car almost never lives,” Clare said.

The speed limit on the road is 55 miles per hour. Authorities did not say how fast each vehicle was going before the collision.

The driver of the 18-wheeler, Kenneth Wheeler, 60 of Greenwood, Ill., was also taken to the hospital. But investigators said his injuries were minor and that he was talking when officers arrived at the scene of the crash.

“He was able to get out of the vehicle and walked about 100 yards and then he got down to rest on the road,” Clare said. “It jarred him.”

Investigators were still trying to determine Tuesday evening what caused the Corvette to veer into the westbound lane as the McAtee navigated a sweeping curve.

Crews closed Highway 166 at Highway 101 to the west and Highway 33 to the east shortly after the wreck. Initial estimates had the road closure lasting up to 10 hours.

However, one lane of traffic opened by 7:30 p. m., according to the CHP Web site.

During the closure, authorities allowed motorists who could show proof of residence in the area to drive to their homes.

Hazardous-materials crews also responded to the crash because the big rig was leaking fuel on the road. Crews sealed the truck’s tank after CHP officials and road crews arrived, according to Clare.

Metal and plastic from both vehicles were strewn across the road.

One of the dead man’s shoes lay on the road near the sports car, which apparently spun out and ended in the eastbound lane.

The driver had been ejected onto the road; his breathing was labored when CHP officials arrived, Clare said.

The Corvette’s air bag was inflated; the steering wheel was disconnected and dangling from cables in the front of the car.