The Napa County Sheriff’s Office identified Devin Brown, a 23-year-old Santa Rosa resident, as the driver of a dump truck involved in a fatal crash on state Highway 29 in Rutherford last week.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident happened on northbound SR-29 at Manley Lane shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Brown was driving a 2016 International dump truck northbound when, for unknown reasons, he made an unsafe turn towards the right shoulder, causing the truck to leave the roadway and crash into a concrete mailbox and metal guardrail.
The vehicle overturned and continued in a northeasterly direction, ultimately crashing into a drainage culvert.
The 61-year-old passenger from Vallejo was ejected from the truck and landed on the dirt shoulder east of the freeway.
Brown sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center with major injuries.
Despite a preliminary investigation ruling out alcohol or drugs as factors, the CHP noted that neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing seat belts.
