PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — The Placer County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) has released dashcam footage of a car crash the resulted in a brush fire and a miles-long pileup between Roseville and Clipper Gap.
The crash occurred around 7 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, on westbound Interstate 80 near State Route 193.
The video is from a sheriff's deputy who was driving in the opposite direction and witnessed the crash. The footage shows a car in the distance suddenly crest a small hill that is not on the roadway. The car hits a pole, and two bright sparks shoot out.
The pole falls and a cloud of dust rises from the crash. Another car appears to immediately get off the highway, seemingly to try to help the driver.
Subsequent video shows the brush fire that sparked from the incident and the long line of cars in the opposite direction backed up in stand-still traffic.
The video also shows workers investigating the power lines and working to make the area safe again. The final shot is of the burnt hull of the car, still smoldering, surrounded by blackened grass after the fire was put out.
The sheriff's department says that after the crash, deputies assisted CHP Auburn and Cal Fire Nevada Yuba Placer Unit with road closures, as well as sending out emergency notifications.
The crash had severed an energized power line, which dropped across both sides of I-80. The start of the power line falling can be seen in the video.
The ensuing pileup reportedly lasted for several hours. Luckily, PCSO says there were no major injuries from the crash, and no structures were damaged. CHP is still investigating the incident.