2 killed, 1 seriously injured in head-on crash on Highway 49 in El Dorado County

Two people were killed and a third person was seriously injured Monday afternoon following a head-on collision on Highway 49 in El Dorado County, officials said.

The crash happened shortly after 5 p.m. just north of Crystal Boulevard, south of Placerville and the Diamond Springs area, the California Highway Patrol's Placerville office said. A Chevy F-10 pickup truck collided head-on with a silver Ford Edge SUV.

The impact caused the pickup truck, which had two people inside, to catch fire. Both of the Chevy's occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said. Their names have not been released.

The driver of the Ford suffered major injuries and has since been taken to an area hospital for treatment.

As a result of the collision, Highway 49 was closed in both directions, and CHP officials estimated the roadway would remain closed until at least 7:45 p.m.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation, but it occurred as a major storm system moves through the region, bringing heavy rain to the Sacramento Valley and snow to the Sierra Nevada and foothills.