One person was killed and three others - including two children - were seriously injured on Tuesday afternoon when an SUV veered off U.S. Highway 50 and tumbled down a steep embankment into the South Fork of the American River near Riverton in El Dorado County. The crash, shortly after 4 p.m., left twisted metal scattered along the canyon wall as crews scrambled to reach the wreckage below the highway.
Emergency responders descended roughly 100 feet from the road to reach the vehicle, pulling victims from the SUV, treating them at the river's edge, and then moving them back up to the roadside to be taken to a nearby hospital.
What Officials Said
The California Highway Patrol's Placerville office said the crash happened just after 4 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Highway 50 near Ice House Road, according to CBS Sacramento. Investigators said a 2024 Hyundai SUV went off the roadway and plunged about 100 feet into the South Fork of the American River.
The front-seat passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver and two children seated in the back were taken to Marshall Medical Center with suspected major injuries, CBS Sacramento reports. Caltrans crews set up one-way traffic control in the area while responders worked the scene and recovery operations continued, officials said.
Rescue Crews And Traffic Control
Local fire and sheriff's units joined CHP personnel to access the steep canyon, stabilize the crash site, and coordinate patient care while a medevac capability stood ready - a familiar playbook on this rugged stretch of US-50. Similar medevac landings and lane closures have unfolded in recent months along the corridor, as reported by The Sacramento Bee, underscoring how difficult rescue work can be in the narrow river canyon.
Authorities did not immediately release the ages of the injured children or the identity of the person who died.
Why This Stretch Matters
The Riverton - Ice House Road corridor cuts through a tight river canyon, where steep drop-offs and limited sight lines can turn a single mistake into a catastrophic crash, as local reporting has noted. Coverage of recent medevac-related shutdowns and serious collisions on US-50 has highlighted the risks on the route.
The highway has also been a focus of Caltrans' multi-year "Fix 50" improvements, which are aimed at reducing collisions and improving pavement, according to California Highways.
What Travelers Should Know
Caltrans warned drivers to expect one-way traffic control near Riverton and Ice House Road while crews continued their work, with delays and slow rolling traffic likely in the area. For real-time conditions, Caltrans' QuickMap and CHP traffic alerts remain the go-to resources before heading into the Sierra foothills, and authorities say they will provide updates as the investigation moves forward.
CHP Placerville is leading the investigation and has asked anyone with information to contact the office as detectives work to determine what led up to the crash. We'll update this report as officials release more details.
