16-year-old Foresthill resident killed in crash; 4 other teens suffer major injuries
FORESTHILL – A 16-year-old boy was killed and several other teenagers were hurt after an early morning crash in Foresthill on Tuesday.
The California Highway Patrol says the crash happened just after 1 a.m. near Foresthill and Mayflower roads.
Five teenagers were in a Toyota RAV4 heading eastbound on Foresthill Road when they came up to a curve in the road. For an unknown reason, the driver didn't follow the curve and instead went off the road – crashing into a tree.
The driver of a vehicle was a 16-year-old Foresthill resident; he suffered fatal injuries in the crash, CHP says.
All four other teens, ranging in age from 16 to 17 and all either from Foresthill or Newcastle, in the vehicle suffered major injuries.
"I cried. It's heartbreaking," Rhonda Horseman said.
Horseman lives just down the road from where the deadly crash happened. In her kitchen at the time, Horseman said she knew it was a crash after she heard a loud noise followed by seeing flashing police lights.
"I just assumed that's what it was since it was so close because there has been like four major accidents since I've lived here that have happened really close to in front of my house," she said.
Horseman said the stretch of road outside her home can be dangerous, also noting the speed limit goes from 30 to 50 miles per hour.
"There's no street lights and you're out in the woods," she said.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the teens involved in the crash, but the Placer Union High School District released a statement on Tuesday confirming that the 16-year-old killed -- and three of the other teens -- was a student at Foresthill High School.
"Such tragedies, especially when they involve young people, are very difficult to process. Community Resources have been provided to our students and staff and following Spring Break, additional counselors, mental health specialists, and chaplains will be on-site to offer support for as long as needed. Please join us in keeping the Foresthill students, staff, and community in your thoughts during these difficult times," the district stated.
Exactly what led up to the crash is still under investigation, but the CHP says they suspect alcohol was a contributing factor.