Two people were killed and two others were injured Tuesday evening after a head-on collision on Highway 99 in Sutter County, authorities said.
The crash happened around 5:27 p.m. on northbound Highway 99, just south of Howsley Road near the Pleasant Grove community. The collision prompted a temporary closure of the northbound lanes as emergency crews responded to the scene.
According to the California Highway Patrol’s Yuba-Sutter division, a white Toyota Corolla was traveling southbound when it crossed the dirt median and entered the path of a Volvo XC60. The vehicles then collided head-on.
The impact caused the Toyota to overturn before coming to rest in a ditch.
The driver and front passenger inside the Toyota died at the scene. The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office later identified the victims as a man and a woman. A rear passenger in the Toyota suffered major injuries and was flown by air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.
The man driving the Volvo suffered minor injuries and was taken for medical care, according to officials.
The crash also affected traffic along Highway 99. Northbound lanes were closed while emergency responders and investigators worked at the scene, with motorists being diverted to Howsley Road. Caltrans later reported that the highway had reopened.
Authorities have not determined what caused the Toyota to cross the median. The CHP said it is also not yet known whether alcohol or drugs were involved.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not announced any additional details about what led to the collision.
For now, the focus remains on determining how the vehicles came into the same path and what factors may have contributed to the deadly crash.
