Elk Grove man dies in Mendocino County crash on his way to clear storm damage

A Sacramento County man contracted by PG&E to help clear storm damage in Mendocino County died over the weekend after his work truck overturned down a dirt embankment.

Edgar Castillo, 37, of Elk Grove, died and another man was hurt in the crash Saturday morning near the town of Manchester, according to his family and news reports.

The fatal single-vehicle crash occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Mountain View Road, just east of Rancheria Road, according to a news release from the California Highway Patrol Ukiah Area Office.

Castillo was driving a 2020 Freightliner boom truck, and Jose A. Hernandez, 24, of Camino was his passenger.

The truck was heading west on the rural road. The CHP said Castillo was unable to negotiate a turn in the road, and the truck struck a guardrail and overturned down the dirt embankment.

Castillo was pronounced dead at the scene. Hernandez suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital, the CHP said.

The deadly crash was under investigation, the CHP said in the news release issued Sunday, but investigating officers did not suspect alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Castillo’s family started a Gofundme online fundraiser to help financially support his family. They said Castillo worked hard to take care of his family; often in harsh weather and locations as a subcontractor for PG&E. He helped clear roads in a variety of Northern California communities impacted by severe weather and wildfires.

“Edgar Castillo was full of life,” Jacqueline Alvarez wrote on the Gofundme page, “and above all full of love for his wife and five kids.”

Castillo and Hernandez were working for Mountain F Enterprises, a company contracted by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and headed to Point Arena to perform vegetation management work, The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa reported.

“This safety incident underscores the hazardous conditions under which our co-workers, contract and mutual aid partners are working as part of our storm response,” PG&E spokesperson Denny Boyles told The Press Democrat. “We are assisting both local authorities and the MFE team with their investigation into this tragic incident.”

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 5:31 PM.

Rosalio Ahumada

The Sacramento Bee

916-326-5549

Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.