GEORGETOWN, Calif. — A Georgetown man died Tuesday after his pickup truck overturned on State Route 193 near Cedar Drive in a single-vehicle rollover that officials say happened while the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. Officers from the California Highway Patrol and county emergency crews responded just before 10:30 a.m.; the CHP log lists the call at about 10:24 a.m. and investigators remain on the scene.
According to CHP, a northbound Ford F-350 struck an embankment, flipped onto its roof, slid across the roadway and struck another embankment on the opposite side of the road. The driver — the vehicle’s sole occupant — was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP said.
Local broadcast reports identified the victim as a Georgetown man in his 60s; authorities have not released a name pending notification of next of kin. Officials told reporters they do not believe alcohol was a factor, and that the driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The crash briefly closed SR-193 in both directions while crews cleared the overturned vehicle and debris; Caltrans District 3 issued a traffic alert as the roadway was cleared and reopened soon after. The El Dorado County coroner and sheriff’s deputies also responded as part of the investigation.
“The driver, who was the sole occupant, died at the scene,” CHP said in its initial account of the collision. Investigators say speed appears to have been a factor, and the CHP’s North Division is continuing to examine the vehicle, road conditions and other evidence to determine the precise cause.
State Route 193 is a rural, two-lane road with limited shoulders in places; CHP officials remind motorists to observe speed limits and drive to conditions, particularly on stretches with embankments and blind corners. Anyone with dash-cam video or information about the crash is asked to contact the California Highway Patrol office handling the case.