14-year-old driver killed, two passengers seriously hurt in Northern California crash

A single-vehicle crash Memorial Day in El Dorado County killed a 14-year-old driver and sent two passengers — including an 8-year-old girl — to the hospital with major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officers were called about 2:10 p.m. Monday to Mormon Emigrant Trail, west of Park Creek Road in Pollock Pines. A Ford Ranger pickup truck, headed west on Mormon Emigrant Trail, left the road and crashed into a tree, said Officer Hugh Council, a spokesman for the CHP’s Placerville office.

The passengers included an 8-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man, Council said.

Firefighters with the El Dorado County Fire Protection District said one person was taken to a hospital while another was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center after the truck overturned.

Council didn’t immediately know the relationships between the victims or the cause behind the crash. It wasn’t known why the boy was behind the wheel — California motor vehicle law says a driver must be at least 15½ to have a learner’s permit.

The investigation into the crash was ongoing, Council said.

This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 10:01 AM.