El Dorado County, CA (November 23, 2025) – Authorities have identified the man who was killed Sunday evening in a collision involving a pickup truck travel trailer in El Dorado County as 18-year-old Sergio Gutiérrez García Jr.
Accident details: The collision occurred around 7:15 p.m. at Highway 50 and Sierra Pines Road. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a Ford F-250 truck lost control of its 32-foot fifth-wheel travel trailer while going west on Highway 50, just east of Camp Sacramento.
The travel trailer crossed the highway centerline and into the path of a Jeep Compass traveling east. The Jeep driver was unable to avoid colliding with the trailer. The left side and top of the trailer crashed into the front of the Jeep. Both vehicles sustained significant damage.
A CHP report indicates that five people were riding in the Jeep. Garcia was in the Jeep’s right front passenger seat and suffered fatal injuries in the crash.
The other four individuals in the Jeep suffered varying degrees of injuries:
- A 16-year-old boy passenger suffered major injuries;
- A 13-year-old boy passenger suffered minor injuries;
- A 6-year-old boy passenger suffered moderate injuries; and
- The driver, a 37-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries.
The report did not indicate whether the 32-year-old male driver of the Ford F-250 suffered any injuries. All six individuals involved in the collision were wearing seat belts.
Investigation: During the California Highway Patrol’s detailed investigation of the fatal collision, investigators will review:
- Trailer stability and sway factors. Authorities will investigate the cause of the Ford F-250 losing control of the 32-foot fifth-wheel travel trailer, including potential sway, weight distribution issues, mechanical failure, or improper hitching.
- Speed and roadway conditions. Investigators will assess whether the truck’s speed was appropriate for the grade, curvature, and conditions of Highway 50 near Camp Sacramento—an area known for elevation changes and limited shoulder space.
- Driver actions before the crash. CHP will evaluate whether the pickup driver attempted corrective steering, braking, or other maneuvers before the trailer crossed the centerline.
- Impact dynamics. Officials will document the point of impact, vehicle positions, roadway debris patterns, and crush damage to reconstruct how the trailer struck the front of the Jeep Compass.
- Travel trailer equipment and maintenance. Inspectors may review the trailer’s brakes, tires, hitch assembly, and stabilization systems to determine whether any equipment failure contributed to the loss of control.
- Driver statements and witness accounts. Interviews with the Ford driver, surviving Jeep passengers, and any nearby motorists will provide additional context about the sequence of events and visibility at the time of the collision.
Given the severity of the damage and the involvement of a large towable trailer, accident reconstruction specialists are likely to analyze vehicle dynamics, timing, and force impact to better understand how the crash occurred.
Legal Considerations: Drivers hauling large travel trailers have a heightened duty of care. Proper hitching, load distribution, speed control, and awareness of sway risks are critical, especially on mountain roadways where stability can change rapidly.
If investigators determine that the Ford F-250 driver was traveling too fast, failed to maintain proper control of the trailer, or did not follow safe towing protocols, those actions may constitute negligence. In such cases, multiple legal claims may arise:
- Wrongful death: Sergio Gutiérrez García Jr.’s surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and emotional damages.
- Personal injury claims: The four surviving Jeep passengers may each have the right to pursue personal injury claims. These claims can seek damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, long-term rehabilitation needs, diminished quality of life, and lost income or caregiving costs where applicable.
Even with everyone wearing seat belts, the force of the impact and the heavy damage to the Jeep show how severe the crash was, which often supports significant personal injury claims.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Sergio Gutiérrez García Jr., and I extend my thoughts to the injured survivors as they begin their recovery.
Source: ABC10