On Sunday morning an 18-year-old died after swerving off the road, taking out the guard rail, going airborne, and damaging a bridge's support beam, according to sergeant Shaun Hoover, with the California Highway Patrol. While responding to the crash a CAL FIRE engine, with a crew of three, fell through a section of the bridge that was damaged.
Hoover noted the initial crash happened just before 3 a.m. just North of Red Bluff in Tehama County, on Jellys Ferry Road at the Sacramento River crossing.
"They veered off the roadway and went airborne over the bridge and struck one of the support beams," he said.
The 18-year-old driver was killed.
"The vehicle rolled, one party was ejected and was killed on impact," Hoover said.
The passenger, who law enforcement have identified has 19-year-old Charles Sorell was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding with major injuries.
Hoover added both teens were not wearing their seat belts.
Jake Bushey, an officer with CHP, was already on the scene of the initial crash. He watched has an ambulance and the first CAL FIRE engine came across the bridge.
He soon realized the portion of the damaged bridge was not going to hold. However, he could not stop the second CAL FIRE engine in time.