An 83-year-old Sacramento man died Sunday evening when the vintage 1934 Ford he was driving struck a tree and overturned on a rural stretch of road near Diamond Springs, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash happened around 5 p.m. as the classic car traveled northbound on Greenstone Road just north of Quail Valley Road, sending the vehicle off the roadway before it rolled. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and his identity has not been released to the public.
A CHP spokesperson described the crash simply: the vehicle went off the roadway, hit a tree and overturned, according to KCRA. A more detailed account from RWB Press, which attributed the information to CHP Fatal, indicates that the 1934 Ford overturned at the intersection of Greenstone and Quail Valley roads. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The crash was also described as occurring near Diamond Springs, with the driver headed northbound before the Ford struck a tree and rolled. Both accounts agree on the core sequence of events even as they describe the crash's precise location somewhat differently.
A Road Built for 45 MPH, Not Vintage Steel
Greenstone Road is a rural road in El Dorado County. The corridor is in a rural area where the crash occurred. Nearby U.S. Highway 50 is patrolled during peak commute hours by the El Dorado County Freeway Service Patrol, roving tow trucks tasked with clearing obstructions and preventing secondary collisions, per regional transit planning documents from the county transportation commission.
Because the car involved was built decades before modern safety mandates, questions remain about its safety features. Under California Vehicle Code § 27315(f), California vehicles were required to have seat belts for all seating positions as early as January 1, 1964, while the exemption is tied to federal requirements applicable when the vehicle was first sold, according to the Barry P. Goldberg. Federal standards required certain safety equipment beginning January 1, 1968.
A County Where Crashes Are Climbing
The crash adds to a troubling local trend. Collision records compiled from CHP data and analyzed through the SafetyFirst Route Planner show that annual reported crashes in El Dorado County rose 27 percent from 2014 through 2025 — a trajectory that bucks broader statewide traffic safety trends. Over that same period, the county's traffic-collision data were mapped by UC Berkeley's Transportation Injury Mapping System.
National data adds further context to crashes involving older drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 8,019 people aged 65 and older were killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2024, accounting for roughly 20 percent of all national motor vehicle fatalities. Separately, national traffic-safety research examines crash risks involving older drivers.
Local Fire Crews Respond to the Scene
The El Dorado County Fire Protection District was working toward unifying fire services in the area, with the former Diamond Springs–El Dorado Fire Protection District annexation still being completed under Chief Brad Gates this spring. The proposed consolidation would create a unified all-risk agency across the region, with a modern leadership structure.
CHP has not yet determined what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, and investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the crash. No further details about the driver have been released.
