Sonora man dies after Jeep rolls down steep driveway, embankment

A Sonora man died Tuesday afternoon when his vehicle rolled backward down a driveway and continued down an embankment where it hit a tree and caught fire.

The man was in the driver’s seat of a Jeep that was in the driveway of a home on Red Heather Drive in Sonora when it began rolling backward for unknown reasons, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The vehicle rolled south across the road, then down a steep embankment where it hit several rocks before stopping when it hit a tree.

Vegetation around the truck caught fire and the Jeep became engulfed in flames. The 71-year-old man suffered major burns and was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released.

It’s unknown if the driver had control of the vehicle or was trying to regain control of the vehicle as it rolled downhill, according to the CHP. The collision remains under investigation.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Sonora man dies after Jeep rolls down steep driveway, embankment."