Pickup driver is killed in seven-vehicle crash on I-80 in Placer County, CHP says
A Placer County man was killed in a seven-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on Interstate 80 near Auburn, authorities said.
The chain-reaction crash began about 12:15 p.m. on eastbound I-80 near Newcastle Road, when a 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck made an “unsafe lane change” into the fast lane, striking a bus, the CHP’s Auburn office said in a news release.
The Dodge crashed into the center divider, overturned and ended up in oncoming traffic, striking a Toyota Prius traveling in the westbound fast lane, CHP officials wrote.
The Toyota then struck a GMC pickup, and the Dodge hit three other vehicles in westbound traffic, according to the CHP: a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2022 Kia EV6 and a 2021 Toyota RAV4.
The Dodge driver, described by the CHP as a 61-year-old Meadow Vista man, was pronounced dead at the scene by responding medical personnel. His identification is pending notification of family.
Drivers of the remaining six vehicles had injuries described as minor, according to the CHP release. The Chevrolet driver, a 57-year-old Meadow Vista man, was taken to a hospital for glass in his eyes.
The crash remains under investigation by the CHP, and it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol played a role, according to the news release.
This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 2:57 PM.
