Driver and dog spend 22 hours trapped in crashed truck in forest, California cops say

A driver who spent 22 hours trapped in a crashed pickup truck with his dog was rescued after a passerby spotted the crash, California authorities reported.

The driver crashed off Highway 89 north of Calpine in Sierra County at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.

The 36-year-old Calpine man told CHP officers he went off the road after not paying attention, the agency said.

The man and his dog spent the night trapped in the wreck in the woods about 30 feet down an embankment from the highway, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

A passing motorist spotted the crashed truck and called 911 at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 5, sheriff’s officials said. The motorist was unsure if anyone was inside the wreck.

Video of the rescue shows the crumpled truck on its side up against a tree on the steep embankment.

Deputies, highway patrol officers, firefighters and medics worked for an hour to rescue the man from the crash, sheriff’s officials said. He was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.

The dog, which appeared to be unharmed, was taken by a friend of the driver, sheriff’s officials said.

“Please remember the responsibility we all have to each other when operating these rolling hunks of metal,” CHP officers said in the release.

Calpine is about a 130-mile drive northeast from Sacramento.

This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Driver and dog spend 22 hours trapped in crashed truck in forest, California cops say."