A man was killed and another motorist was injured on Highway 99 in south Sacramento County this morning as the man tried to retrieve items that had fallen from his vehicle.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Michael Bradley said a man in a pickup truck was northbound on Highway 99 south of Dillard Road when some of his belongings fell out of the truck onto the roadway. The man pulled to the median and got out of the truck to try to retrieve the items.
Bradley said traffic was slowing, either to avoid the man or items in the lanes, when a woman driving a Volkswagen swerved into the median, striking the man.
The Volkswagen then crossed the roadway and struck a shoulder berm.
Bradley said the man, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman was transported to Kaiser South Medical Center with minor to moderate injuries. Bradley said an investigation is under way and it has not been determined whether charges will be filed.
In situations where items fall from a vehicle into the roadway, Bradley said, the driver of the vehicle is advised to pull to the side of the road, not the median, and to call the CHP, rather than trying to retrieve the items. The CHP can run a traffic break, allowing the items to be safely removed from the roadway.