A 69-year-old Marysville man died after the pickup he was driving veered off Canal Road and plunged into a Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District canal near County Road 60 in Glenn County. Rescue crews pulled the submerged truck from the water but were unable to save the driver.
According to Action News Now, the crash happened on April 13 when a Toyota Tacoma headed north on Canal Road left the pavement and went into the canal. California Highway Patrol officers found the truck fully submerged, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rural canal where crash occurred
The Glenn-Colusa canal is part of a 65-mile main canal system operated by the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, based in Willows, that serves nearby farms and wildlife refuges. GCID maintains the canal network that runs alongside several county roads in western Glenn County, including stretches with little room for error on the shoulder.
CHP still piecing together what happened
Investigators have not yet determined whether alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash, and they also do not know if the driver was wearing a seatbelt, officials told Action News Now. The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation, and the Willows Area office that patrols Glenn County lists contact information on the CHP site at CHP Willows Area.
Deadly crashes in irrigation canals a recurring danger
Irrigation canals in the Sacramento Valley have been the scene of other deadly wrecks in recent years, including a July 2024 recovery of a submerged vehicle later tied to two missing men, as reported by the Glenn County Observer, and a December 2024 fatal crash into an irrigation canal in neighboring Sutter County, according to CBS Sacramento. Those cases highlight the risks that come with narrow rural roads pressed up against deep irrigation channels and steep embankments.
CHP has publicly identified the victim only as a 69-year-old man from Marysville. Anyone with information about the Glenn County crash is asked to contact the CHP Willows Area office at (530) 361-0900.
