Driver killed in Roseville I-80 crash was Sacramento Metro Fire engineer heading to work
A Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District engineer was killed Saturday morning in a crash on Interstate 80 in Roseville when his car hit a center divider on the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Metro Fire identified him as Kyle Rutherford, 38, and said that he was headed to work at a station in North Highlands.
In a news release, the CHP’s Auburn unit said the Grass Valley resident was headed westbound on I-80 and was approaching the Atlantic Street exit around 7 a.m. when his 2021 Toyota Corolla drifted from the No. 1 lane into the median.
After Rutherford’s car crashed into the concrete barrier, CHP officers dispatched to the scene found him unresponsive. Rutherford was the only person in the car and no other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Medical personnel extricated Rutherford and sent him to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
“Those who worked closely with Kyle describe him as an ‘excellent engineer’ and someone who was always willing to help his coworkers however and whenever he could, particularly with auto repair which was a passion of his,” Metro Fire officials said in a statement announcing Rutherford’s death.
Rutherford was hired to the department on March 9, 2015, and was promoted to engineer in 2018. His father was also a fire engineer, who is retired from the Roseville Fire Department. Rutherford is survived by his wife, Sheena; his daughters, Leana and Lillian; his sons, James and Grady; his sister, Shaina, and his parents, Ed and Larelle.
CHP investigators are not sure what caused Rutherford’s car to drift toward the median, and are still looking into a possible cause. Alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash, officers said.
Auburn CHP investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call 916-663-3344.
This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 2:37 PM.
