2 Adults Killed, 2 Young Kids Hospitalized with ‘Major’ Injuries as Pickup Truck Hits Tree After Veering Off Calif. Highway

Two adults were killed and two children were hospitalized after a crash on Highway 50 near Kyburz, according to CBS News, The Sacramento Bee, and Fox40.com.

The crash occurred at around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, when a Chevrolet pickup traveling eastbound went off the roadway and struck a tree on the south side, CHP Placerville spokesperson Officer Andrew Brown told The Sacramento Bee.

The California Highway Patrol told CBS News that the two adults, who were pronounced dead at the scene, appeared to be the parents of the children seated in the back.

It took several hours for emergency responders to free the 8-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl from the wreckage, Brown told The Sacramento Bee. The children were then airlifted to a hospital in Reno, Nevada, with major injuries, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The driver was believed to be traveling at an unsafe speed, which may have contributed to the crash, according to the outlet.

While authorities do not currently suspect the driver was under the influence, Brown told The Sacramento Bee that toxicology testing is standard procedure in fatal collisions.

Highway 50 was temporarily closed following the crash but has since reopened, The Sacramento Bee noted.

Officers remain at the scene as the investigation continues, though traffic is not being affected, according to Fox40.com.

The identities of the adults who died and the children involved have not yet been released.