A motorist was killed in a multi-vehicle collision and fire on Elkhorn Boulevard in Rio Linda on Friday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A second person was taken to the hospital with what Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials said were significant injuries. The person’s condition was not immediately known.
As many as five cars were involved in the 2:01 p.m. collision in the 2100 block of Elkhorn near 20th Street, according to CHP dispatch logs.
Within minutes of the first calls to CHP officers, a motorist was said to be trapped inside a vehicle. A car ignited at 2:07 p.m., six minutes after the initial call, stopping traffic as Metro Fire crews headed to the scene. Traffic was later diverted onto nearby 22nd Street.
Sacramento County coroner’s officials were called to scene just before 2:30 p.m., the dispatch logs showed. Coroner’s officials will release the person’s name after notifying next of kin.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.
This story was originally published August 21, 2026 at 3:21 PM.
Related Stories from Sacramento Bee
.JPG)
The Sacramento Bee
Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.