According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred around 6:49 a.m. on Highway 89 near Olympic Valley Road.
Placer County, CA – One person died, and two others were injured in a traffic collision that happened Friday morning in Placer County’s Olympic Valley area.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred around 6:49 a.m. on Highway 89 near Olympic Valley Road.
The accident happened when the driver of a silver Subaru Outback traveling northbound on Hwy 89 lost control while negotiating a right-hand curve, causing the car to rotate counterclockwise and drift into the southbound lane. The Subaru moved directly into the path of a southbound black GMC Sierra.
The front of the GMC struck the passenger side of the Subaru, pushing it against a snowbank.
The driver of the Subaru died at the crash scene.
The driver of the GMC and a passenger were transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital with minor injuries.
CHP Truckee Area Office is investigating the cause of the crash. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact the office at (530) 563-9200.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Placer County recently ranked 50th out of 58 counties for total fatal and injury victims (where 1st is the highest crash rate), placing it among the safer counties per capita.
However, specific behaviors remain high-risk. The county ranks poorly for alcohol-involved collisions (49th) and nighttime crashes (53rd). Most notably, Placer ranks 10th worst in the state for bicycle victims under age 15, prompting targeted school-zone safety projects. To address these trends, the county is updating its Local Roadway Safety Plan through 2026, focusing on high-injury corridors like Highway 49 and Auburn Folsom Road.
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