8 Hospitalized After Crash Closes Highway 49
NEVADA COUNTY (CBS13) - Eight people are in the hospital after a three-vehicle collision on Highway 49 Saturday afternoon.
"It seems like every week there's another accident either at this intersection or a mile up or a mile back along 49 all the time," said Kristen Whitehead.
At 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, a silver SUV and a black pickup truck smashed into each other in the northbound lane on Highway 49. It happened just north of Combie Road, where the two lanes turn into one. Both vehicles drifted into the southbound lane and hit a bus head on.
A total of eight drivers and passengers were rushed to the hospital via ambulance and helicopter. They were taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Sutter Auburn Faith and Sierra Nevada Memorial.
Kristen Whitehead lives just down the road and said this is the kind of accident she always fears on Highway 49.
"If you've got people right on your rear not paying attention and then it pinches down, it's inevitable," she said.
The road was closed and saw major traffic for nearly 90 minutes after the accident but within two hours, it reopened. Sgt. Matt Whiting with California Highway Patrol warns drivers in the area to be as alert as possible while merging near the curve in the road.
"The only thing we can do is encourage people is to just be courteous and be aware that either you need to slow down or speed up," Whiting said.
Whitehead agreed and after living nearby for several years, she believes that driving on the winding highway means being extra cautious behind the wheel.
"The people from around here we kind of know it's coming but again you know people just aren't attentive," Whitehead said. "You mix the speed in there and it makes for a disastrous situation at times."
Whiting said investigators still have several witnesses to interview but hopes to have a full picture of what happened within the next few days.