Two injured in I-80 wreck
Traffic was slowed on Interstate 80 eastbound just before the agricultural inspection station Friday morning after a single-car accident.
At about 10:04 a.m., a 1993 Mercury Villager van driven by Gert Rudiger, 69, of San Jose, suddenly swerved off the roadway and entered a grove of trees in the chain installation area a few hundred yards before the bug station.
The van struck several trees, tearing open the left front driver’s door and ejecting the driver. Both Rudiger and his wife, Alta, 67, suffered major injuries in the crash.
Gert Rudiger was evacuated immediately by Careflight to Washoe Medical Center. Alta Rudiger was taken to Tahoe Forest Hospital and then also evacuated via Careflight to Washoe Medical Center.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, said Todd Kettwig, California Highway Patrol Public Affairs Officer.
“There’s a possibility the accident was due to a medical condition with the driver,” he said.
As of Wednesday morning, both were still hospitalized. Gert Rudiger was out of intensive care while his wife remained in serious condition in the ICU.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.
User Legend: 
Moderator 
Trusted User
National Forest visits soared in 2020
New data shows more people than ever visited national forests and grasslands last year, according to a U.S. Forest Service report recently released. National forests and grasslands received 168 million visits in 2020 — an…
