
Tuolumne County, CA – On the evening of Saturday, May 24, 2025, a 40-year-old Coulterville man was killed when his vehicle plunged into a ravine off Wards Ferry Road, according to FOX40.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that the man was driving southbound on a closed section of Wards Ferry Road, just south of Powell Ranch Road, at approximately 8:30 PM when he reportedly failed to navigate a curve.
His vehicle veered off the roadway, tumbling several hundred feet down a steep mountainside and overturning multiple times. The driver was ejected from his vehicle.
Both the man and the vehicle came to rest in a ravine, where they remained undiscovered until around 6:40 PM on Sunday, May 25, when a boater spotted the wreckage and notified authorities.
Due to the remote and hazardous terrain, recovery operations were delayed until the following day, Monday, May 26.
The fatal crash remains under investigation.
Single-Vehicle Collisions
In some cases, investigations may reveal that even in a single-vehicle accident, nearby drivers or unsafe road features share some responsibility. California’s Comparative Negligence rule means that, even if those injured in accidents are found partially at fault, they may still be eligible to receive partial compensation for damages.

Martin Gasparian is the founder of Maison Law, a California Personal Injury Law Firm. Martin is a graduate of Georgetown University Law School and has been practicing law in California 2004. His practice focuses on helping injury victims know their rights and recover just compensation.