Man killed when ejected from pickup in rollover crash on Highway 132 near Waterford
A man was killed early Monday in a rollover pickup truck crash on Highway 132 west of Waterford, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The crash east of McEwen Road was reported at about 1:25 a.m. The man was found on the highway shoulder near a 1983 Toyota pickup with collision damage, a CHP news release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation determined the driver was eastbound when for undetermined reasons the pickup went off the south edge of the road and struck a telephone pole.
The vehicle overturned and the driver, who was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected from the Toyota.
The CHP release said it has not been determined whether alcohol or drugs factored in the crash.
Seat belts save lives, CHP reminds
“A seat belt can be the difference between walking away from a crash and never making it home,” The California Highway Patrol reminded drivers in a social media post last week.
Through May 31, the CHP is taking part in a nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign of increased seat belt enforcement. Officers will be stopping drivers and passengers who are not properly buckled up.
“Too many lives are lost each year because someone chose not to wear a seat belt,” the post says. “In a crash, being ejected from a vehicle is often deadly, and airbags alone are not enough to protect you.
The CHP website says data from 2024 and 2025 show that over 13,000 crashes across California involved an unrestrained occupant, resulting in more than 1,300 fatalities, according to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System.
The CHP reminds drivers and passengers to puckle up correctly before every drive: Shoulder belt across your chest, lap belt low across your hips, and never behind your back or under your arm.
This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 8:34 AM.
