O’NEALS – A single vehicle accident at about 2 p.m. on Road 200 near Butterfield Stage Road has claimed the life of a mountain area resident.
There were two occupants in the car, a male and female, that was eastbound at the crest of the hill at Butterfield Stage, at what was reported by CHP as “an excessive rate of speed.”
The driver apparently went wide on the corner, caught the gravel at the entrance to Butterfield Stage, skidded back across both lanes and hit the curb on the westbound side of the road. The car then careened along the curb, hit the butt end of the guard rail and continued over the embankment where it came to rest in the middle of a barbed wire fence, about 25 feet down off the road.
The vehicle was not visible from the roadway, but a passer-by saw all the debris and the skid marks, and turned around to investigate, according to witnesses at the scene.
The man was thrown clear of the car and the young woman was able to extricate herself from the wreckage. SkyLife air ambulance was dispatched for the male victim, but he succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene. The woman was transported to an area hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Cal Fire Engines 4255 and 4275 responded, along with Sierra Ambulance, CHP and the Sheriff’s Office. Cal Fire and Cal Trans implemented traffic control, and the road was closed down to one-lane traffic as the investigation was conducted and the scene was cleared.
