Driver dies after dump truck overturns off Hwy 29 in Rutherford

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A driver died after a dump truck overturned off Hwy 29 in Napa County on Wednesday.

RUTHERFORD, Calif. - A man driving a dump truck in Napa County was killed Wednesday afternoon when the vehicle overturned and crashed into a culvert, according to California Highway Patrol.

Around 3:50 p.m., a 23-year-old man from Santa Rosa was driving a dump truck northbound on state Highway 29 in Rutherford, just south of Manley Lane, when he made an unsafe turning movement towards the right shoulder, according to CHP. The dump truck then left the roadway and crashed into a concrete mailbox and metal guardrail. The impact of the collision caused the truck to overturn and continue in a northeasterly direction, eventually crashing into a dirt and rock drainage culvert.

The passenger, a 61--year-old man from Vallejo, was ejected from the truck and landed on the dirt shoulder east of the freeway, according to CHP. The vehicle came to rest on its wheels east of the highway, facing south.

Neither the driver nor his passenger were wearing seatbelts and the driver sustained fatal injuries. The passenger was taken to the hospital with major injuries.

After a preliminary investigation, CHP said it does not believe that alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash.