EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A motorcyclist died Saturday after crossing into oncoming traffic and striking a pickup truck in a head-on collision north of Rattlesnake Bar Road, the California Highway Patrol said.
The CHP said the rider was traveling southbound when the motorcycle crossed into the northbound lane and was struck by a Ford pickup; the truck driver was not injured and cooperated with investigators at the scene.
Local outlets reported slightly different location details: KCRA placed the crash on Coloma Road north of Rattlesnake Bar Road, while CBS Sacramento reported the crash on northbound Highway 49, about a mile north of Rattlesnake Bar Road between Pilot Hill and Cool. Readers traveling the area should note those close, adjacent roadways and expect investigators to clarify the exact roadway in the official collision report.
Authorities have not released the motorcyclist’s name or age. The rider was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the CHP statements reported by local news organizations.
“There was no evidence at this time that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol was a factor in the crash,”
the CHP said in its statement to media.
At the time of publication, a full CHP collision report had not been posted publicly; media coverage to this point is based on CHP preliminary statements to reporters. Parties of interest who require an official copy of the investigative file can request a CHP collision report through the agency’s crash-report portal or by submitting form CHP-190 to the CHP area office that handled the case. Traffic crash reports are typically available to involved parties or their authorized representatives through the CHP online system.
Anyone with video, photos or information that could help investigators should contact the California Highway Patrol communications center or the Placerville/area CHP office; the CHP also maintains a general reporting line at 1-800-TELL-CHP.
Key facts
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Date: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
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Location reported near Rattlesnake Bar Road (Coloma Road / Hwy 49 area).
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Collision: motorcycle crossed into opposite lane and struck a pickup truck head-on.
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Truck driver: uninjured and cooperative. Motorcyclist: pronounced dead; identity unreleased.
