STRAWBERRY, Calif. — The El Dorado County law enforcement community is mourning the death of Correctional Officer Ryan Marietti, who was killed Friday morning in a solo-vehicle crash on Highway 50 near Strawberry.
Marietti, badge No. J2258, was a member of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and had served as a correctional officer since December 2024. He worked at both the Placerville Jail and the South Lake Tahoe Jail during his time with the agency.
The Sheriff’s Office announced his death Saturday, Aug. 29, describing Marietti as both a member of the agency family and a valued member of the community.
“Ryan will be greatly missed—not only by his family and friends, but by his EDSO family and the community he proudly chose to serve,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Crash Near Strawberry Under Investigation
The crash occurred during the early morning hours Friday on Highway 50 near Strawberry. Authorities confirmed that Marietti’s vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle collision.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene, but Marietti succumbed to his injuries.
The circumstances surrounding the crash, including what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, remain under investigation. The single-vehicle crash happened shortly after 5 a.m. near 41 Mile Stone Road, where Marietti’s vehicle lost control, rolled over, and fell roughly 70 feet down an embankment off the highway, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
Highway 50 is a major east-west transportation route through the Sierra Nevada, carrying residents, commuters and travelers between El Dorado County and the Lake Tahoe region. The Strawberry area lies along the mountainous stretch of the highway east of Pollock Pines.
From Explorer to Correctional Officer
Marietti’s connection to the Sheriff’s Office began before he officially joined its ranks.
As a young member of EDSO Explorer Post 457, he became actively involved in the program and represented the post as a member of its competition team.
Explorer programs provide young people with an opportunity to learn about careers in law enforcement and public safety. For Marietti, that early experience ultimately became a path into the Sheriff’s Office.
He was hired as a correctional officer in December 2024, beginning the professional career he had already envisioned while participating in the Explorer program.
According to EDSO, Marietti demonstrated a strong work ethic and professionalism while working in the county’s correctional system. The agency said he had his sights set on advancing through the ranks and building a career dedicated to serving the community.
Ponderosa High School Graduate
Marietti was also a member of the local community long before he put on an EDSO uniform.
He graduated from Ponderosa High School with the class of 2023.
His relatively short professional career belied a longstanding interest in public service. From his years with Explorer Post 457 through his work inside the county’s jails, Marietti’s path remained closely connected to El Dorado County law enforcement.
That connection has made his death particularly painful for colleagues and residents who knew him through school, the Explorer program or his work with the Sheriff’s Office.
Remembering J2258
The Sheriff’s Office said Marietti’s loss is being felt throughout the agency and the broader community.
His service took him from the Placerville Jail to the South Lake Tahoe Jail, where he worked as part of the correctional staff responsible for the custody and safety of inmates.
For an agency accustomed to dealing with tragedy in the line of duty, the death of one of its own carries a different weight.
Marietti had joined the Sheriff’s Office less than two years before his death. He was still at the beginning of the career he hoped would take him through the ranks of the organization.
Instead, that career ended on a Sierra Nevada highway.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has asked the community to remember Marietti, his family and the colleagues who served alongside him.
Correctional Officer Ryan Marietti, J2258. Always speak his name.
