GEORGETOWN/CAMERON PARK, El Dorado County — A man died Friday after his pickup truck left the roadway and struck a tree on State Route 193 just west of Longview Lane, the California Highway Patrol said. Officers were dispatched after a 7:30 a.m. call, but CHP investigators believe the collision may have occurred hours earlier.CHP patrols and emergency crews found a single, older-model pickup — reported to be towing a small utility trailer — off the right side of the westbound lane and embedded in trees. The driver, the only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene; CHP said he was believed not to be wearing a seat belt. Authorities have not released the man’s name pending notification of next of kin.
Investigators said it is too early to determine what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway. Toxicology results and additional forensics are pending, and CHP cautioned that it cannot yet say whether speed, impairment, fatigue, mechanical failure or road conditions played a role. “We will wait for toxicology and the full collision reconstruction before drawing conclusions,” CHP said in its initial statement to reporters.
The crash is the latest serious or fatal incident reported along SR-193, a rural two-lane state highway that runs through tree-lined foothills and has seen periodic collisions in recent years. State and local safety analysts point to narrow shoulders, roadside trees, and stretches of winding pavement as ongoing hazards on conventional rural routes like SR-193. Caltrans and CHP maintain route-level crash records in state databases (SWITRS/TIMS) and in annual Caltrans crash publications that policymakers use to target countermeasures.
Local emergency responders remained on scene for several hours while CHP agents conducted an initial investigation and cleared wreckage. Residents who frequently use SR-193 said the route can be deceptively fast in places and lacks forgiving shoulders in several stretches. “You don’t have much room for error out there,” one neighbor said. (No name was provided to protect privacy.)
What happens next: CHP will complete its collision report, including toxicology tests and a reconstruction if warranted. Those results will determine whether the case will be forwarded to the El Dorado County coroner and if any criminal charges or civil inquiries will follow. For safety planning, Caltrans and county traffic engineers review SWITRS/TIMS and Caltrans’ annual crash summaries to identify hot spots and consider remedies such as guardrail, shoulder widening, vegetation clearances or signage.
How readers can stay informed and stay safe
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Motorists should exercise caution on SR-193 and other rural two-lane roads: reduce speed on curves, maintain safe following distance, ensure trailers and tires are roadworthy, and always buckle up.
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For route-level crash statistics and maps, the public can consult the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS/SWITRS) and Caltrans’ “Crash Data on California State Highways” publications.
