A Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy died in a single-vehicle crash on Christmas Eve, an incident authorities said may have been influenced by slick, rain-soaked roads as powerful storms swept across California.
In a statement shared on Facebook, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy James Caravallo, a 19-year veteran of the department, “was tragically killed in a solo vehicle car crash on his way to work at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center” on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
“Our hearts are with Deputy Caravallo’s family, and we ask the public to keep Deputy Caravallo’s loved ones and our Sheriff’s Office family in their thoughts and prayers,” the agency added.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened just before 6 a.m. local time when Caravallo’s vehicle struck a pole near Franklin Boulevard and Point Pleasant Road, NBC affiliate KCRA, CBS affiliate KOVR and ABC affiliate KXTV reported.
Investigators said wet conditions may have contributed to the crash. In a preliminary assessment, CHP noted the driver may have lost control, crossed into the oncoming lane and hit the pole.
Caravallo was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts. The California Highway Patrol was contacted on Friday, Dec. 26, for additional information.
“This is one that is hard to swallow and unfortunately in this line of work we deal a lot with the dangers in the line of duty deaths,” Sacramento County Sheriff’s Sgt. Amar Gandhi told KCRA. “This is a little more unique because it’s one of those freak accidents. Simply on his way to work.”
Caravallo’s death came during a week of severe weather that authorities said had already claimed at least three other lives, the BBC and the Los Angeles Times reported.
Rescues were also reported across the state. One woman was pulled from the San Jose Creek on Wednesday after being swept into the water. In Los Angeles, a man trapped in a small drainage tunnel connected to the Los Angeles River was rescued earlier that same day, according to ABC affiliate KESQ.
Over 11 inches of rain fell in parts of Los Angeles County on Wednesday night, The Guardian reported. By Friday, the National Weather Service said the intense stretch of storms was expected to ease, noting that after “several days of deluge from heavy rainfall, California can expect to dry out this weekend as the last of a series of energetic low pressure systems is forecast to move pass the region.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency declaration on Wednesday for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties in response to the storms.
“California is acting early and decisively to do all we can to get ahead of dangerous winter storms,” the governor said in a statement. “The state has pre-positioned resources, activated emergency authorities, and we are working closely with local partners to protect communities and keep Californians safe.”
