SUV Kills 1, Injures 3 on Sacramento Highway 50 Shoulder

Q: If alcohol wasn't involved, what truly caused a driver to drift off Highway 50 and fatally strike men changing a flat tire?

The true cause has not been established yet. What is known is only that the SUV “drifted” off eastbound Highway 50 and onto the right shoulder, where it hit the men helping with a flat tire. CHP has said alcohol does not appear to be a factor and the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated, but that does not identify why the vehicle left the lane. Based on the information released so far, investigators have not publicly cited speed, drugs, a medical episode, fatigue, distraction, a mechanical failure, or a road-condition problem. In crashes like this, “drifted off the roadway” is a description of what happened, not a determination of cause. Investigators typically look at phone records, the driver’s condition, vehicle data, tire and steering condition, braking evidence, and roadway factors before deciding whether the drift was caused by inattention, drowsiness, a health issue, or some other failure. So, at this stage, any claim about the “true” cause would be speculation. The only fact supported by the reporting is that DUI is not suspected; the broader cause of the SUV leaving the freeway remains under investigation.

3 articles · Updated · KCRA Sacramento · Aug 17

One man died and three others were hit around 11:35 p.m. Sunday after an SUV struck four men on the eastbound Highway 50 shoulder near 34th Street in Sacramento.
The group had stopped to fix a flat tire after one vehicle pulled over, and friends parked behind to help when the SUV drifted off the roadway and into them, CHP said.
One victim suffered major injuries, while two others had minor injuries and did not go to the hospital.
The SUV driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators; CHP said DUI is not suspected and the dead man's identity was not released.