A passenger dies and a driver was hospitalized after a Hyundai crashed into a tree on Hwy 99 near Mingo Road.

GALT, Calif. — A fatal traffic crash early Monday morning on Highway 99 in South Sacramento left one person dead and another hospitalized with serious injuries.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the crash occurred around 3:59 a.m. near the Mingo Road off-ramp. 

CHP said a red Hyundai Santa Fe veered off the northbound lanes, traveled across the dirt and grass median, crossed the Mingo Road on-ramp, and crashed into a tree.

Emergency responders pulled the driver from the car and helped the passenger at the scene. Both were taken to Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center. 

The passenger was pronounced dead at the hospital around 4:20 a.m., while the driver sustained major injuries and remains in treatment.

CHP officials indicated that alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the crash. Identification of the victims will follow notifications to their next of kin. 

The driver is expected to be arrested upon release from the hospital.

The investigation remains ongoing, and CHP urges drivers to exercise caution, especially during early morning hours.


Watch more on ABC10: Storm shuts down Tuolumne canal, water conservation urged

ABC10: Watch, Download, Read