2 injured in crash down Highway 50 embankment in El Dorado County

Two people were hospitalized with major injuries after a crash along an El Dorado County freeway late Friday morning, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol's Placerville division said the crash happened shortly after 10:30 a.m. along westbound Highway 50 near Red Hawk Casino. 

A vehicle carrying a man and a woman went off the roadway and crashed down an embankment. Officials said both suffered major injuries, but they are not believed to be life-threatening.

Westbound Highway 50 was shut down for an extended time as crews removed the vehicle from the embankment. Additionally, both sides of the highway were closed for roughly 10 minutes so that a helicopter could land on the roadway to transport the two people to Sutter Roseville Medical Center for treatment.

Traffic was then reduced to one or two lanes for a few hours before fully reopening.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.