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Accident still being probed

Gregory Crofton

A tragic accident on Al Tahoe Boulevard Monday left a man dead and a South Shore teen-age girl shaken.

Daniel Vigil, a 52-year-old from South Lake Tahoe, was killed when a white Chevrolet pickup driven by a 16-year-old girl fractured his skull. Vigil was kneeling near the right rear tire of his Ford Ranger pickup trying to put chains on it. His truck had gotten stuck in a snowbank on the northbound side of the road around 4:45 p.m.

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Detective and acting Coroner Tom Hill said the pickup hit the right side of his head causing a compressed skull fracture. Vigil was pronounced dead at Barton Memorial Hospital at 5:38 p.m.



As of Wednesday the girl had not been cited for any wrongdoing but police are still investigating the accident.

“I’ve haven’t even written the report, I’m still doing calculations of the time, distance and speed,” said Officer Mark Allen. “I’m still investigating but I will be making a recommendation one way or another whether she should be cited.”



The accident occurred about 100 yards south of Murietta Drive just below an icy rise in the road.

“The Ford Ranger was stuck in snow and the young lady was coming over the hill,” Allen said. “I assume he probably slid on snow and ice and ran off road. I have no idea why he did that.”

The girl reportedly told police Monday that she was driving 20 to 25 mph as she came over the ridge on Al Tahoe. Because of on-coming traffic, police said the girl was not able to drive around Vigil and his pickup. Instead she tried to stop and that sent her sliding into the 51-year-old.


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