79-year-old woman killed, another driver hurt as tree falls across California highway
An elderly woman died and one other driver was seriously injured after a tree fell on multiple vehicles Monday afternoon on a rural Northern California highway, authorities said.
A Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, 2010 Honda Accord and 2005 Honda Accord were all traveling on Highway 49 in Nevada County near La Barr Meadows Drive when a large conifer tree on the west side toppled across the two-lane highway around 1 p.m., the California Highway Patrol’s Grass Valley office said in a news release.
The Nissan bore the brunt of the impact, crushed directly by the tree, while the other three vehicles were “simultaneously struck,” CHP officials wrote.
The Nissan driver, a 79-year-old Marysville woman, suffered fatal head injuries. The driver of the 2005 Honda, a 54-year-old Grass Valley woman, had major injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to the CHP. Her condition is not known.
The deceased victim’s identity will be released by Nevada County coroner’s officials pending notification of family.
The involved stretch of Highway 49, located a few miles south of Grass Valley, was closed for more than an hour as crews cleared the vehicles and the tree from the scene.
The incident, which remains under investigation, happened amid rain and very gusty winds that swept through interior Northern California on Monday.
The Nissan and Ford were traveling north on Highway 49, while the two Honda sedans were heading south.
The CHP said drugs and alcohol are not factors in the incident and asked anyone who may have witnessed it to contact the CHP Grass Valley office at 530-477-4900.
This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 8:24 AM.
