Two hospitalized after freeway crash near red hawk casino

A devastating morning crash sent two people to the hospital with major injuries along westbound Highway 50 near Red Hawk Casino in El Dorado County, California.

High-speed collision

According to the California Highway Patrol's Placerville division, the accident occurred shortly after 10:30 am, with a vehicle carrying a man and woman veering off the roadway and plummeting down an embankment.

Both passengers sustained severe injuries, but officials believe them to be non-life-threatening. Emergency responders shut down the westbound lanes for an extended period to extract the vehicle from the ravine.

Adding to the complexity, crews temporarily closed both sides of the highway for approximately 10 minutes to accommodate a helicopter landing on the roadway, transporting the victims to Sutter Roseville Medical Center for treatment.

Traffic was subsequently reduced to one or two lanes for several hours before fully reopening. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.