Three-vehicle collision on Luther Pass sends two to South Lake Tahoe hospital

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Three vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on SR89 just after 6:00 a.m. on Friday, August 6, 2021.

The California Highway Patrol's (CHP) preliminary investigation shows the driver of a Dodge Ram Pickup was traveling southbound on SR89 near Luther Pass. For unknown reasons, the 56-year-old male driver from Placerville allowed his truck to drift over the center line into the path of oncoming northbound traffic.

The Dodge Ram first sideswiped a Toyota Tundra pickup driven by a 43-year-old male from Carmichael, Calif. The Dodge then continued further into the northbound lane where it hit a Chevy 2500 pickup driven by a 24-year-old female from Wellington, Nev.

Local fire and emergency crews responded and had to use special equipment to free the woman from her Chevy pickup. The collision caused her to be pinned in the driver seat.

The collision caused major injuries to the drivers of the Dodge and Chevy trucks and both were transported to Barton Hospital in South Lake Tahoe. The driver of the Toyota was not injured according to the CHP.

CHP South Lake Tahoe said DUI is not suspected in this collision and it is still under investigation.