Sacramento Man, 68, Dies In Fiery Head-On Crash Along I-5 In Woodland
WOODLAND (CBS13) — One person has died after being trapped in a fiery crash on Interstate 5 in Woodland over the weekend, authorities say.
According to California Highway Patrol, a little after 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a 27-year-old Elk Grove woman was heading northbound on I-5 near the Kentucky Avenue overcrossing in a sedan when, for an unknown reason, she veered to the left and crossed the center divider.
She then ended up on the opposite side of the freeway - and was quickly involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming pickup truck.
The crash left all three people who were riding in the pickup truck trapped inside. A fire then broke out.
Officers say both passengers - a 51-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy - inside the pickup were rescued, but the 68-year-old driver could not be freed before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. That driver, a 68-year-old man from Sacramento, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the sedan that veered into the wrong side of traffic suffered major injuries in the crash and was taken to the UC Davis medical center, CHP says. The two passengers rescued from the pickup truck were rushed to other hospitals with minor to moderate injuries.
Traffic along southbound I-5 was diverted into the late-night hours as officers investigated the crash scene. The lanes have since been reopened.
CHP says they are still investigating the crash and are asking anyone who may have seen it to call them at (530) 662-4685.