1 killed in head-on crash on Highway 89 near Palisades Tahoe
One person was killed Friday morning in a head-on crash on Highway 89 south of Tahoe City near the entrance to Olympic Valley, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The collision was reported just before 6:50 a.m. about a half-mile south of Olympic Valley Road, the main turn-off for skiers heading to Palisades Tahoe.
The CHP’s Truckee office said a silver Subaru Outback was traveling northbound on a curve on Highway 89 when the driver lost control. The Subaru spun out and drifted into the southbound lane, directly into the path of a black GMC Sierra driven by a 28-year-old Reno, Nevada, man.
The front of the GMC struck the passenger side of the Subaru, pinning it against a snowbank, said Officer Carlos Perez, a spokesperson for the CHP’s Trucke office.
The driver of the Subaru was pronounced dead at the scene. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office coroner’s division was expected to release the person’s identity pending notification of family.
The driver of the GMC and a passenger were transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital with minor injuries, the CHP said.
All lanes of Highway 89 were blocked shortly after the collision. A SigAlert was issued at 7:12 a.m., closing the roadway between Olympic Valley Road and about five miles south of Truckee. The highway reopened just before 9:30 a.m.
It was unknown whether drugs or alcohol were contributing factors and Perez said the collision remains under investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information was asked to contact the CHP’s Truckee office at 530-563-9200.
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 9:55 AM.
