DIAMOND SPRINGS, Calif. — Two people were killed and a third was hospitalized after a single-vehicle crash Sunday evening on State Route 49 south of Crystal Boulevard, the California Highway Patrol said. Officers responded to the collision at about 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 10; CHP investigators say three people were in the vehicle and two were ejected.
CHP said the two people who were ejected — the driver and the front-right passenger — died. On Monday the agency identified them as 73-year-old Gerald Escobosa and 72-year-old Sally Bishop. The remaining occupant, a right-rear passenger, was taken to Marshall Hospital with what CHP described as minor injuries.
Investigators so far have not determined the cause of the crash. “Officials do not believe that seat belts were used,” local news reporting said, citing CHP, and the collision remains under investigation.
The call was initially reported to dispatchers as a pedestrians-struck incident; responding officers later determined the two victims had been ejected from the vehicle. CHP said only one vehicle was involved. The agency asked anyone who witnessed the collision or has dash-cam footage from that stretch of Highway 49 around 7:15 p.m. to contact the Placerville CHP office.
Context and local impact — Highway 49 is a well-traveled north-south route through El Dorado County; crashes on the road can block traffic for hours and create secondary hazards for other motorists. Local emergency responders and highway crews routinely remind drivers to wear seat belts and to drive at speeds appropriate for road and light conditions.
Sources
Primary reporting in this story is based on statements from the California Highway Patrol
