A 16-year-old boy was killed and an adult woman was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon after a vehicle crashed into a power pole and caught fire in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento County, authorities said.
The crash happened around 1:30 p.m. on El Camino Avenue near Verna Way. According to the California Highway Patrol’s North Sacramento office, the vehicle was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and struck a power pole.
The collision was severe enough to shear the pole, and the vehicle caught fire after the impact.
The teenage driver was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP said. Authorities later identified the driver as a 16-year-old boy, although his name has not been released.
An adult female passenger was also in the vehicle. She was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officials said she is expected to survive.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to the crash, extinguished the vehicle fire and treated those involved at the scene.
Firefighters also had to work around live electrical lines. Metro Fire said its crews coordinated with Sacramento Municipal Utility District personnel to de-energize the lines before firefighters could safely continue their operations.
The crash also caused a power disruption in the surrounding area. SMUD’s outage map showed more than 880 customers without electricity at about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The circumstances leading up to the crash remain under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. No additional information about the identity of the passenger or the events immediately before the collision has been released.
Authorities have not released the name of the teenage driver pending notification of his family.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Sources: California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
